


Forged in Love

by roxasagainst



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: A whole lot of sexual tension, Comedy, Drama, F/M, Fluff, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm dead inside and drinking while writing this, Minor Character Death, POV First Person, Past Character Death, Post-Calamity Ganon, Reader Insert, Romance, Strangers to Lovers, You're Welcome, and summaries and titles, botw, definitely smut just wait for it, drama?, everyone is on that NUT PACK, have we seen anger issues!link yet?, idk how to write sexual tension, just know link is a huge dominant flirt, kinda follows the in-game story?, maybe smut?, reader has a knife kink, revali is an asshole no matter what story, so sorry abt that, whatever just have fun, zelda is bi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:21:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 47,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28531377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxasagainst/pseuds/roxasagainst
Summary: Being the second greatest blacksmith in Necluda, you travel very often and are very familiar with the odds and ends of Hyrule. That is, the one time you end up asking for directions becomes a whole new journey of love, war and discovering yourself.
Relationships: Link (Legend of Zelda) & Reader, Mipha/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Revali/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 58





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is my new hyperfixation, enjoy LMAO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking the wrong turn from Goron City you end up at an unfamiliar stable and ask someone, well anyone, for directions.

I hate the sun.

I had been on horseback since four this morning and I wasn't anywhere close to home. I'm not lost, I thought, but what the hell was taking so long?

I slow down as I approach a stable. Yes! Finally just a smidge of civilization. It wasn't familiar to me so I still couldn't tell where I was or where I was trying to go. You know, besides home. I leap off of Mabel and approach the counter with her reins in tow.

"Hiya! Name's (y/n). Could I board my horse here for the night?"

The stable manager smiles at me, "Of course, just sign here."

Taking the pen from him I sign my name and the stable handler takes Mabel from me. I place a kiss on her nose, "Goodnight baby girl. We'll get home soon."

The lady looked at me weirdly, clearly taken aback by how much I care about my horse. I've had her since she was little and I took great care of her! She knows me all too well. 

I step inside the tent and look around. Not many travelers here thank goodness. Except for this one guy who was laying on one of the beds; his eyes closed, hands behind his head, and one foot propped on the bed. Good for him. Maybe a quick nap here will do me good.

I turned to the old man who switched sides, "How much is a bed?"

"Bed is 20 rupees. Soft is 30."

I walk up to him ruffling through my bag for some rupees, "I'll take a soft bed. And keep the change."

Before I walked away I stopped abruptly after remembering why I stopped here in the first place.

"Hey, what stable is this?"

"This is Dueling Peaks."

"How far is it from here to Hateno?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. I don't travel as often. You could ask that young man over there." he says, pointing to the previously aforementioned guy.

"Thanks. I'll try that." I wave at him and set my things down a bed away from the relaxed guy. He must be tired. I would hate to bother him but I need to get home and I still have orders to finish.

I tiptoe towards him, trying not to make too much noise. Before I could even open my mouth though, he opened an eye. The cyan iris trained on me. 

Alright guy, don't be weird.

"Uh hi. I didn't mean to bother you—"

"But you are."

I pause and stare at him for a second. Excuse me, my good bitch?

I shift around and hold my breath, maybe it was kinda rude of me to bother him and I acknowledged that before but I need to get home. What if I waited until tomorrow to ask him and he wasn't here? I'd be fucked!

"What do you want?" he asks, closing his eyes.

"I was uh, hoping you know how long it takes to get to Hateno Village and which direction I should take. I got mixed up coming from Goron City, I guess."

He didn't say anything for a minute. Did he fall asleep? Goddesses. 

"Hey—"

"Tell you what," he says, yawning, "I'll show you where you need to go in the morning. I just wanna sleep right now."

"Y-yeah that's totally cool. Thank you."

At this point, he goes silent again and I slink away to my bed. I take off my boots and fireproof armor and set them on the floor. Definitely not sleeping in that. 

My gaze wandered to the guy. Rude as hell, but I will admit he was kinda cute. Don't wanna give him an ego boost though. 

His blonde hair was in a ponytail, bangs scattered over his forehead, eyes that could melt ice, and strong arms like he's been fighting with a sword for a long time—

"Hey", I call out, "what's your name?"

He opens his eyes and sits up to face me, "Are you ever going to let me sleep?"

"Shit sorry I was uhh" I trail off. Fuck! Don't let him know you were checking him out. Goddesses, what was in the water I drank? 

"Come on, spit it out."

This just keeps getting worse. Ugh, why did I open my mouth?

"I can make you something in return for helping me."

He raises a brow and gave me the smuggest, shit-eating smile in the universe I'm sure, and props his head on his hands with his elbows on his legs. 

"Sorry honey I don't take Hylian Rice art."

My cheeks grew hot, this bastard! Rice art, fuck you you fucking—

Deep breaths, (y/n), deep breaths. He's gonna help you get to Hateno and then you can grill him like a bird leg. You got this.

"No I mean, like a weapon," I say, somehow having trouble finding the words, "I'm a blacksmith in Hateno."

I piqued his interest obviously as he sat up and took his smile down to a grin, "Oh really? I'll take you up on that actually" he says, gesturing to his sword, "I don't think that's gonna last much longer."

Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Whew, for a second I thought I wouldn't be able to stand him the whole way back home but this I can do.

"Yeah! I feel like that's the least I can do. I get a lot of requests since my father doesn't craft as much as he used to."

He nods, putting his legs on the bed and returning to his original position. 

I smile and put my legs on the bed as well. The quicker I fall asleep, the quicker I can get home–

If my eyes didn't wander so often.

He didn't tell me his name either, but I was pretty sure he was asleep this time by the way his chest rose and fell. Pointy ears? He's a Hylian, definitely. Little blue hoops, small nose, chiseled jaw, broad shoulders—

Okay okay fuck, I should really go to sleep. 

I turn away from him and put my feet under the rough blanket. Hands under my pillow, I stare blankly at the other side of the room, eventually dozing off into the night.

* * *

I hate the sun.

I could see it sneak its way into the tent and directly into my eyes. That's the worst thing to wake up to. I roll over and convince myself I can sleep five more minutes until I have to get up and goof off but even when my eyes were slightly cracked open I could clearly see the Hylian guy staring right at me.

I jolt myself awake and almost flip out of bed from the adrenaline.

"What the fuck are you looking at?"

He chuckles, "Jeez so early? You haven't even been awake for five seconds and you're already cursing."

I roll my eyes and get out of bed, stretching on the opposite side. I could still feel his eyes,  which was mildly uncomfortable, but I could excuse it from Mr. Hylian broad shoulders guy.

"Give me a second to put on my armor and we can get going."

He stands and walks to the opposite end of my bed, picking up my armor and inspecting it, "So Goron City, huh?"

My face went red. Why? My own body is betraying me. Maybe it's because his voice is smooth as all hell.

"Yeah, I went up there to get some material. I forge weapons for them as well as tools. They are my highest-paying customers."

He nods and gets up to talk to the stable manager.

I put on my armor, fastening the ties and loops, adjusting it to my body type, and putting on my boots. Granted, I wasn't in Goron City anymore and the temperature is normal here but I can't afford to carry it on the way back with my materials.

I scoop up my belongings and stand a few feet away from the blonde guy to catch the stable manager so I can take Mabel out and see how she's doing.

He looks at me and scoffs, "What am I, contagious?"

"Well, you oughta be."

" _ Well _ , that's mean."

I look at him from the corner of my eye and thank the woman who brought Mabel in tow. I hug her and brush her mane as she purrs in response. 

Blondie brings his horse next to mine and cocks his head, watching me give Mabel her well-deserved affection.

"You never answered my question last night, by the way." I say, matter of factly.

He looks away and adjusts the saddle and bootstraps on his horse in silence.

"It's Link."

"Link huh? Well Link, thank you again for showing me the way to get to Hateno."

He pauses, "What's your name?"

"(Y/n)."

He smiles, he had a nice smile too, "Well (y/n), you do know I'm coming with you."

"I-I thought you were just gonna point me in the right direction?" 

I never had a stutter until I met this fucking guy. Link.

"Yeah, I was until you offered me such a nice reward." He says, jumping on top of his horse with ease. I'm mad because he looks so —  _ heroic _ — upon his trusty steed. You can really see the cyan in his eyes pop out against his blue tunic. It was stupid. He's stupid. Whatever.

I shrug, "Okay that's fair." 

I hoist myself on Mabel and give her a soft pat before taking the reins up in my hands.

"So where to,  _ Link _ ?" I say, emphasizing the "k" in his name.

"Well," he says, pulling out some sort of flat thing, "We go east from here towards Fort Hateno and keep going with that trail until we hit an intersection by Fir River but that just depends on—"

I wave my hands in the air, "Okay okay okay I get it let's just go. Too many words."

Link laughs and gives his horse a light kick, sending it trotting ahead of me. I repeat the same action with Mabel and she keeps pace next to him. I can see him look me up and down from the corner of my eye. The thought gives me chills. What the hell is he thinking about? Do I want to know? Is it dirty? My cheeks get hot as I let out a tiny giggle and smile to myself.

"What are you doing? You look insane."

"How would you know I was doing something? Too busy staring?"

His cheeks turn red as he turns away from me but I can still see it! The tops of his ears are a light pink and he touches the back of his neck, "I just like the armor that's all. I'm gonna need a set when I go to Goron City too."

"Well I got it there soooo you're gonna have a rough time. Unless.." I say trailing off.

Link looks at me, "Unless what?"

"Unless you get your hands on some fireproof elixir."

He shrugs, "Do you know where to get it?"

"Maybe."

* * *

The sun was setting behind Hyrule Castle and my back hurt like nobody's business. We came to a stop at, what do you know, the intersection Link was talking about. I groan as I bring Mabel to a complete stop and I get off of her to stretch. I haven't been on my feet in a few hours and I almost fell. I rest my head on her side, "Okay dude, we need to take a break."

Link stops as well, "We can't sleep out here like this. There are monsters lurking around."

"Well, we have the tools to fend them off." I mumble.

Link sighs, "Okay we can rest for a minute but then we're back on the road."

"Fine, fine. I'll get a fire going. I'm hungry too." My stomach growls on cue. Link gets down from his horse and does a small stretch before coming to sit next to me as I scrape wood and flint together.

"Are you gonna help me or watch?"

"You're the blacksmith. I'm sure you have this under control" he says, swiping on his slab thing.

"What the hell is that thing anyway?"

"It's a Sheikah Slate. I kinda keep all my stuff in here instead of carrying" he says, gesturing vaguely at my knapsack, "all of that."

I huff, "Well alright smartass. Use your slate thing to start a fire."

Link stands up, "I'll do you one better"

He clicks on the slate again, a blue essence materializes into a bow and a quiver of arrows. I stare in awe, where the hell did that come from? It was like, in thin air! Hmmm, I'll store that for later.

He nocks a flaming arrow and aims towards the bundle of wood. Seems kinda overkill but okay whatever. As soon as he shot the arrow into it the wood went up into a big flame before dying down to our level. It was a little cool but nothing  _ extraordinary _ .

"Warm enough for you?" he says, flashing a toothy smile before playing with the slate again. I put my hands towards it and close my eyes. This reminds me so much of home. Working with metal, designing hilts, putting details on blades. I let out a sigh and then turn towards Mabel who had my knapsack on her side. I get up to unhook it from the saddle and bring it over to the fire, looking through it for some quick food.

Hmm. A mushroom, Hyrule herb, raw bird drumstick, apples. Maybe the raw bird will do. Easy to hold over the fire and tastes great on its own. I unwrap it from the wax paper and hold it over the flames.

"Are you gonna share?" Link asks, batting his eyelashes.

"In your dreams."

He laughs and the blue essence comes out of the air again, this time with a plate of already prepared food. My jaw drops as Link takes a hearty bite and looks at me.

"I thought you didn't want to share?"

I tear my eyes away from him in annoyance and focus on my drumstick. Stupid show-off bastard baby. UGH. I turn the bird over to crisp up the other side, Link still happily chewing next to me.

"So are you just a traveler or Hyrule's resident asshole?"

He rolls his eyes at me, "You don't know who I am?"

I look him up and down again, this time getting details I missed when I sneaked peeks at him before. He was well built, tall, the slightest bit of charming, nicely shaped lips—

I blush, "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell."

He points at himself, "Hero of Hyrule? One of the Champions?"

I blink, "You mean, you were Princess Zelda's lapdog?"

His hand lowers and I burst into a fit of laughter, "That's right! You were! You were her special little puppy wuppy" I tease.

He moved in a flash that I didn't even see him get up. It was a blur of blue and blonde and the next thing I knew, he had a sword against my neck, knocking me on my ass. I hate traveling with someone.

"Watch your damn mouth, (y/n)." He growls, his eyes were darker than I've ever seen them so far. I was half scared and half turned on, which is the worst combination. I wanted him to move because I don't feel like dying but the way he held the sword, the craftsmanship of the blade, and his eyes made me feel like goo.

"Yes sir." I smirk, hoping to see if that set him off more. What else would he do? What else  _ could  _ he do? The sheer thought of it gave me chills and I was right in front of the campfire. 

He put his sword back in his sheath and returned to his previous position a few feet away from me and I put my arms behind me, palms flat on the ground. I can still see him looking at me from the corner of my eye as I struggle to catch my breath, his eyes not losing the intensity he had before. Was he gonna kill me later on in the trip? Doesn't he know how to take a joke? He should have! We've been doing nothing but joking since we met. Well, minus the part when I woke him up, but regardless, fucking goddesses, Link! I can't even breathe straight.

He starts back on the slate like clockwork and had his plate of greens dematerialize in the blue essence. At this point, my bird leg was burnt after dropping it in the fire after Link and I’s scuffle. I don't even know if I have another leg left. I pull the apple from my bag and start munching away, hoping this could stave off my hunger for a bit longer.

It felt like time was going slower than ever as I sat in silence with Link. I felt like I was suffocating. The fire died down and you could feel the bitter chill of Necluda at this time of night. 

"Hey, do you want to get going?"

Link looks at me, his eyes back to their natural cyan hue, "Yeah, shit sorry. I was reorganizing things."

"It's okay." I assure him, standing up to dust myself off. I take an apple from my bag and feed it to Mabel who enjoyed the treat. She's got enough rest and a snack so that should keep her going the rest of the way.

Link hooks the slate on his belt and jumps onto his horse, soon I follow suit with Mabel. 

"Do you want to go left or right?" He asks.

"Is there a difference?"

"I imagine one is a scenic route."

I snicker, "Alright let's take that one then."


	2. PreCal One: The Bet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revali and Link go toe to beak on a multitude of things. Mipha and Zelda are the only winners of their childish bets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aight so this is Pre-Calamity (hence PreCal) and they're just kinda filler chapters when my brain gets fried writing the main story. They're canon to the story but meant to be lighthearted and fun. Also idk how to describe that ledge in Rito Village so I just made one up lmao

_The sun beamed down on the 3 champions and their princess as they stood on the flight deck of Rito Village._

_"Alright, who wants to go first?" Revali asked, holding his arms out._

_Mipha and Zelda look at each other, still holding hands. At this point they've been dating for a month or two now. Link has never seen her so happy, and he was happy for her too._

_"I vote Link, I know he can kick your ass." Zelda argued, sticking her tongue out. Mipha held her hand up to her forehead in the shape of an 'L', sticking her tongue out as well._

_Link steps forward, cracking his neck, "Alright the women have spoken. Let's go birdbrains."_

_Revali snarled and bent down on one knee, facing out towards the canyon. He leaped, going high in the sky, letting his wings catch air and soaring the sky. Link stepped back and ran towards the edge before jumping and deploying his paraglider. Mipha and Zelda watched as they circled each other before Revali pulled out his bow and nocked an arrow._

_"Are you ready to lose Linky?" He says, coming down to Link's level in the air._

_Link drew his bow and nocked an arrow as well, rolling his eyes at the Rito native._

_Revali focused his eyes on the red target near the bottom of the canyon and fired, shattering it instantly. He nocked another arrow and turned to his right to shoot out another target. 2-0._

_Link fired his arrow towards the left, nocking an arrow, firing below it, nocking another arrow and firing near Revali's direction._

_2-3._

_"Don't cheat you blonde bastard!" Revali yells, starting to circle Link, shooting an arrow past his left ear and breaking a target._

_"I'm not cheating, I'm just faster than you." He says, nocking an arrow and shooting it at the target in front of him._

_3-4._

_Link glided towards an updraft of wind and gained a few feet above Revali. Shooting his arrow to the right and missing over the canyon._

_'Shit' he thought to himself, 'I know Revali saw that and I'm never gonna hear the end of it.'_

_The girls below cheered them on, this being the most entertaining thing of their day. Revali turned to wink at them and Mipha gave him the middle finger._

_"You missed Linky!" He shouts, firing an arrow below Link's feet. Link pulled another arrow from his quiver and nocked it. He only had two left, which means Revali had two as well._

_"Yeah well the winner has to buy drinks!" Link shouts, shooting another target below his opponent._

_Zelda and Mipha cheer once again, "Hell yeah! Free drinks!"_

_'All he has to do is miss a shot' Link thought, 'and I'll win.'_

_4-5._

_Revali spun around in the air, firing two arrows at once. The last two. One of them missed and clipped Link on his forearm and the other one actually hit a target._

_5-5. 'I'll be damned' Link thought._

_Link retracts his paraglider and falls at lightning speed before Revali flew under him to catch him from certain death. He slammed into Revali's back, "You know what this means right?"_

_Revali snickers, "You wanna bet Linky? Alright, I'll play ball."_

_~_

_~_

_~_

_All 4 young and irresponsible idiots sat at a table in the bar of Rito. Zelda and Mipha both had two drinks, Link was nursing his second, and Revali four drinks in. He raised his head up quickly, almost giving himself whiplash, "Alright what's your wager kid?" He asked Link._

_Link thought to himself. 'What can I bet Revali to do that will embarrass the hell out of him?'_

_"Oh for Hylia's sake, you guys are betting now" Mipha sighed, flagging down one of the staff for another drink._

_"Uh yeah duh, we tied shooting targets earlier weren't you there?" Revali slurs._

_Link had a horrible idea, but with the state Revali was in would be well worth the consequences._

_"Whoever does the most shots gets 200 rupees. Loser pays for all the drinks." Link said, flagging down another staff member._

_Revali's eyes went wide and he had the biggest smile, "You want to challenge me to a drinking contest lightweight?"_

_Zelda rubs her temples, "Here we go."_

_The bartender brings over a silver tray with 24 shots of their strongest in-house brewed liquor. Zelda and Mipha look at each other with concern._

_"Are you sure you can handle this Link? You don't drink a lot, if any." Zelda asked._

_Link took a deep breath and looked at her, smiling, "I'm going to kick his ass."_

_Mipha jumped up and clapped, not really helping the situation but giving both men the drive to beat each other. Actually they've just always been like that._

_Alright, it's shot one. Revali downs it and winks at a girl across the bar. Link hesitates, but drinks it all at once as well; he makes a sour face._

_Shot two. Revali shows no signs of weakness or no sign of stopping. He just progressively gets drunker and drunker, and flirts with woman after woman. Zelda is disgusted, Mipha laughs herself out of the chair. Link takes the second shot with no hesitation, yet he still makes a face._

_Shot three. Zelda and Mipha share one, the entire room cheering them on and whistling. They adored Zelda and Mipha's relationship, considering they were the first known same sex couple. Revali hesitates at first until he takes a look at Link, who downs the shot and wipes his mouth. He slams it right after._

_Shot four. Link ended up taking his and walking off somewhere. Revali followed him with his eyes as Link passed a woman, clearly flirting with him and both disappear into the men's bathroom._

_'Is he fucking serious?' Revali thought to himself, 'He takes four shots and goes to hookup with some broad in the bathroom? Is he trying to show off?'_

_"Revali what's up? You've been angrily staring at the bathroom for a few minutes." Zelda asked._

_Revali takes a quick glance at her and then back to the bathroom, before taking his fifth shot and getting up from the table._

_"Make sure Link takes number 5. I'm gonna go have some fun."_

_Mipha and Zelda share a look and start laughing._

_"Oh jeez he's gonna harass some poor girl." Mipha says, taking another shot. Zelda laughs, knowing she's ruining the count for Link and Revali's bet, but there's no way the both of them could get through twenty four shots on their own. She wouldn't be surprised if Link was throwing up in the bathroom as we speak. She takes a shot as well and kisses Mipha on the cheek._

_Link exits the bathroom behind the girl who was flirting him up as she wiped her mouth with a huge grin on her face. Zipping up his fly he makes his way back to the table and sits down._

_"Number five! Drink, drink, drink!" Mipha chants._

_Link's eyes are dark, Zelda notices and nudges Mipha. They both have a slight idea of what Revali was mad about. Link takes the glass off the tray, one followed by another. He was up by three glasses. He was going to beat Revali of course but that didn't mean he couldn't fuck around._

_Every woman here was dying to have a piece of the Champions. Revali included, as he was being seduced by twins over by the front door. While this was the hottest bar on the Westside, plenty of women from the different villages came here to have a good time. With luck they would catch a champion here, boy or girl._

_When Revali did return to the table, he and Link shared a look with electricity flying in their eyes. The air was obviously getting tense as Mipha and Zelda took their leave._

_"Alright, we'll see you two idiots in the morning." Zelda says, holding Mipha up with one arm on her shoulder. If anyone was a lightweight it was her. Zora's Domain was the only village that didn't have a bar, so she hasn't had the chance to build a tolerance. Revali scoffed at them, "Well let me know when you need a man to get the job done."_

_Zelda rolled her eyes and Link clenched his fists, 'Not this shit again' he thought, 'when is he gonna pick up the hint that they want nothing to do with him?'_

_"How many shots did you take Linky? I saw you go into the bathroom with that girl."_

_"Well before you got back I had three. Are you jealous?"_

_Revali chuckles, "Me? Warrior Revali jealous of you? In your dreams brat."_

_Link drank his ninth shot, "Mmhm so you would want people to think."_

_"I could pull more ass in here than two of you combined." Revali growled, standing up from his seat._

_Link waved his hand in motion for him to sit back down, "We're having a drinking contest not a fucking contest."_

_"Why because you know you'll lose?" Revali teased, also taking another glass from the tray._

_Link rolled his eyes, "Whatever, let's just call it a night. I don't need a headache on the way back to Hateno."_

_"Ah that's right, another stop. You guys are gonna go see Purah?"_

_Link picks up another glass and swirls the liquid around inside, "Yeah, she's supposed to be updating the Sheikah Slate for me."_

_"Spoiled brat" He spits, "Fine, catch me in the morning then."_

_Link smiles at him, "Great. Night."_

_Revali shoo-ed him off and took another shot. 'Entitled bastard' he thought, watching Link round up another girl, with long brown hair and a stunning pair of tits. 'I would never be jealous of him.'_

_Link's night wasn't over yet though. Taking the brunette back to his room, was however, the final step. She giggled the whole way there. He held a finger to his lips to shush her as he closed the door behind him._

_"Oooo I get to have sex with the royal guard?" She teased, running her finger up and down his chest. He grinned, "Yeah? You gonna use that for bragging rights?"_

_She let out another giggle, this time caressing his face, "Yeah, yeah I am."_

_~_

_~_

_~_

_"Ready?" Zelda asked, looking back at Link and Mipha. She smiled at her girlfriend and Link gave a thumbs up. Taking the reins in her hands she gives a light kick on the side of the horse, "Alright, let's get moving."_

_Revali waves at them as they head down the mountain to begin their trek to Hateno. It was going to at least be a day and a half until they got there. Link sighed, gazing at Mipha and Zelda, who were riding side by side._

_'Maybe I'll find someone like that one day.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PreCal will be up on Wednesdays while the main story will be updated Sundays, no one cares but just make a note of that if you please


	3. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Link finally make it to Hateno and settle in for a night.

By the time the sun came up again, it bathed Hateno Village in a golden glow. I was so happy, beaming even. I'm finally home! 

Sniffing the air around me, people were waking up and beginning to cook breakfast to jump start their day. I jumped off of Mabel, almost breaking my ankle in the process and running to my cabin.

_Home sweet home._

The smell of metal and crackling of the forge gave me such a feeling of euphoria I have never felt before. I was only gone for 2 days but I felt like I would never get here.

I brush past my work station and unlock the door, inhaling the scent of just finally being fucking here. Even the couch looks a lot more comfortable than it usually does. I flopped down and closed my eyes, letting out a sigh of relief. 

"Wow, yeah you're definitely a blacksmith."

I darted my eyes towards the doorway, Link stood there looking around my workshop.

"I didn't even hear you."

"I have learned to move silently. Don't want any monsters finding me."

I sit up, knowing I'm gonna have to do something else now that he waltzed in here like he owns the place. Wait shit, I guess I have to follow through on his reward. I'd genuinely feel bad if I didn't.

"It's gonna be a couple of days before your sword is ready." I tell him.

He kicks his foot back and forth against the ground. From over here he looked just like a little kid.

"I figured." He said, looking out towards the village.

_Oh no, oh fuck._

"You can stay here if you want, it is a bit cheaper than an inn."

I let the words run out of my mouth like an idiot waterfall. _Please say no, please say no._ If he says yes then that means I have to look around the house to find a spare set of sheets. Granted the sheets weren't my only concern. I mean yeah we slept in the stable a bed away from each other but this time it's a more private setting and I'm more likely to do something stupid here than anywhere else. Fuck, why did I even say anything? 

"I'll take you up on that. In return I'll make us something to eat."

'Us'? It made me blush like crazy when he said it. No one has cooked for me besides my parents. He turned back at me and I hid my cheeks. Goddammit please don't come closer or breathe or do _anything_. My entire mind and body is going haywire. 

"Oh that sounds good." I say, my voice muffled by my hands.

"Is there a shop around here? I could probably buy a few things—"

I brushed past him in a hurry. Mabel trotting around, just as happy to be home as I am. I unclip my bag from her and jog towards my house, digging around for rupees, "Here use this."

Link made a face and pushed my hand away, laughing, "Don't worry I got it."

He walked past me, "I'll be back in a bit yeah?"

I nod, waving at him as he closed the door.

Whew, now I can get a hot shower! Taking off my armor, I make my way to my room and rustle through my wardrobe for something clean and comfortable. A white shirt and cotton shorts will do nicely. I set the clothes down on the back of the toilet and turn on the faucet to give the water time to warm up.

Turning to the mirror, I observe my features. My face had a little bit of mud on it, my (e/c) eyes were tired and decorated with dark circles that haven't fully shown up yet. I feel around my neck, thinking about Link holding the sword up to me. I close my eyes and grin, _unfortunately_ turned on by the memory. He's so fast, strong and obnoxiously cute. Handsome? No, _hot_. The way he held that sword up to me was _hot_. I take some ribbon and put up my (h/c) hair up into a bun/ponytail hybrid and start undressing. I pulled the lever and climbed in the shower letting the water crash all over me. God it was so warm! I use my makeshift loofah and scrub it with some soap before wiping myself down with it, making sure to get the dirt and mud off my face.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I need to find some spare towels and a washcloth for Link. I mean, I assume he was gonna shower, Hylia knows how long he's been wandering around Necluda. I rinse myself off, turn off the water and yank the towel down from the bar the curtains were attached to, wrapping it tightly around me. Sighing, I open the door to the bathroom and lay face down on my bed. Oh I've missed this the most. So soft and cool to the touch, I could melt into the blanket. It was making me a little sleepy—

"U-uh f-fuck sorry—" Link stammers.

I push myself up from the bed, the towel slipping just a bit, clearly showing more cleavage that I didn't plan on showing.

"Link what are you doing in here?!"

"I-i meant to ask you where the cooking pot was and I uh, _fuck_ I'm sorry."

He giggled towards the last part which made me narrow my eyes at him. He's still fucking standing there. And he's checking me out again, fully undressing me with his eyes, that pervert. I take a sock from the floor and throw it at him, "Okay get out so I can get dressed. I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay okay." he says, backing out of the doorway and hopefully going somewhere else. It's fucking hard to tell since I can't hear his footsteps, and I didn't think he'd be back so soon.

Oh jeez, I fling myself back down on the bed, covering my eyes in sheer embarrassment. Did I make him nervous or something? Oh goddesses he saw me half naked, there's no fucking way he'll want to stay here tonight after that. Oh, _OH_!

That's the first time I've heard him use "fuck".

My cheeks tingle a bit. Was that a good "fuck" or bad? He actually said it twice. He also stuttered. That's the first time he's done that too. Maybe he got it from me, it's definitely contagious. How am I even going to face him? Well _presumably_ with clothes on.

I do my best to get over my racing thoughts as I get up and walk into the bathroom. I hang the towel up on the bar and slip on some panties and a tight fitting bra. I can't really handle them getting in the way while I work. I pull up the shorts and work my way into the shirt. Both items are a bit small on me.

Oh my goddess, he's gonna freak out, he's gonna go fucking feral.

 _Wait_ , this is my house. I can wear whatever I want! I mean I just don't want it to be weird, maybe I made it weird. Okay okay just stop thinking about it.

I slowly make my way towards the doorway and spot Link sitting on the couch, on the legendary slate again. 

"W-what did you need again?" I ask. GREAT now _I'm_ stuttering.

He turned back to face me, his face and ears getting a slight brush of pink. 

"Oh yeah a uh, cooking pot."

"What did you end up buying?" I ask, walking towards the kitchen.

"I got some prime meat, a few Hylian 'shrooms, some Tabantha wheat, rock salt and goat butter. Thinking about meat pie."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Do you like that?"

What the fuck. Why did my body react to _that_? Face? Hot. Breathing? Labored. Panties? Wet. I hate myself so damn much.

"Yeah that s-sounds good. I hope you can make it and not burn it." I giggle, hoping to calm myself down a little bit. 

"Oh okay cool then let me take that from—"

He stops mid sentence when he reaches for the pan and touches my hand on accident for a brief second. We both stopped. Time froze. He took the pan away completely and grabbed my wrist a bit tighter than I expected. I didn't expect anything but this isn't about that. He pulled me close to him, my chin just at level with his collarbones.

Oh no.

"Are you okay?" He asks. I'm pretty much Chuchu jelly in his hand now.

"Yeah I'm fine. Why are you holding me like this?"

"You were shaking."

"Yeah I do that sometimes" I lie, praying to Hylia he wouldn't catch on.

His grip loosened and I looked up at him — _mistake by the way_ — right when he looked at me. We held each other's gaze for a couple of seconds. His face had light freckles, there's a cut on the bridge of his nose that had already healed and his eyelashes were way too long. Why are men's eyelashes so long? It annoys the hell out of me. 

I break away and pull myself out of his grasp, "Well I think you got it from here. I'll go work on your sword."

"Okay sounds good." he says, giving me a small wave.

I power walk my way out of the house and into my workshop. My anvil and forge were set up, I sit on my stool and sigh with my head tilted back. I can't believe that happened. I can't believe that fucking happened. I let this stranger into my house and offered to let him stay because I'm making his weapon and I feel obligated to. And he just fucking takes my breath away. 

I start digging through my bag for some iron, taking a good look at it before deciding what kind of metal I want to use. I'm gonna actually go for steel this time. It'll have a little more durability than iron. I toss the coal and iron into the forge and use the bellows to bring more oxygen into the fire to get it up to a better temperature. Once it finally got to a workable mixture, I took it out carefully with my tongs and laid it down on the anvil, where I started to hammer away at it.

I'd been banging on the steel so hard trying for so long just to get it into the shape I want, I didn't even hear Link calling my name.

"(Y/n)!"

I whip around and see Link standing in the doorway, head to toe in flour. 

"What the hell—"

"Can you come help me?"

I couldn't say no to those eyes, holy shit. The way the flames from the forge highlighted his face and arms sent chills through my body.

I set my hammer down and walk towards him. 

"What do you need help with?"

"Can you roll up my sleeves?" He asked, stretching his arms out in front of me.

Don't blush, don't blush, _don't blush!_ It's just his arms! 

"Yeah uh" I trail off, trying to make my hands move up towards his sleeves. I started with the left one, pulling it up and folding it so it was tight around his bicep. He put that arm down when I started working on the other one. My heart is racing, all because I'm touching his stupid arm. This is just a disaster.

"Are you blushing?" He asks, trying to move around to get a good look at my face.

I panic and look down at my feet, "No it just gets hot in here when I work." 

His silence meant he took the lie, at least for now. To be fair he doesn't know anything about me, let alone how my body reacts to things. Ok let's _hope_ he doesn't know that yet. I finish up his right arm and give him a light pat, "Alright kid you're good to go."

He gives me a quizzical look, "Kid?"

"It's just a figure of speech" I say, holding my hands behind my back.

He smiled at me before turning around and looking at me from the side, "I'm probably way older than you anyway."

With that he left the workshop and back into the cabin, my body not knowing which direction to go. What did that mean? Is he getting cocky about being a few years older than me? Whatever. I turn back to look at my anvil and sigh, going inside the cabin as well to lay down on the couch. I was a little tired and my arms were starting to get sore so maybe that was a good stopping point for tonight. The house smelled entirely of sauteed mushrooms and seasoned meat. I didn't even think about how hungry I was until now. 

"Hey how long on the pie?" I yell.

Some utensils clang, a pot falls into the sink and makes a noise, "Um maybe a few more minutes."

I get up to start searching for some sheets and a spare pillow. I walk over to the chest on the other side of the room. Hmmmm too bulky, too itchy, too small, I think going through all the blankets I had. I pull out a soft yellow blanket and unfold it. It was clean too, that was a plus. Good job (y/n) I think, giving myself a little pat on the back. I could actually just take a spare pillow from my room to put out on the couch. I set the blanket across the arm of the couch and grab a pillow from my bed. I set it down when I saw the chest at the end of my bed and rifled through it. Alright towel? Done. Washcloth? Done. I guess I could set it on the couch as well. Maybe. The bathroom was connected to my room unfortunately for him, maybe.

Before I could make my next move I see Link from the corner of my eye setting a plate down on the table. Oh thank goddesses he's done. I just leave the towel and washcloth on my bed and go back into the living room. Link already tore into his pie like a wild animal. I take my plate and sit on the far side of the couch, giving us about 5 feet of space between.

"Jeez you're gonna choke at that rate." I tease, tearing the little pie in half. It could actually fit nicely in my hand, so good for him on that.

He smiles, "Nuh uh."

I take a few bites, every bite even better than the last. Fuck now I have to compliment him on his cooking? Wasn't letting him sleep here enough?

"Where'd you learn to cook this?"

He paused and looked up at the ceiling, thinking a little too hard, "It's a trial and error thing. I had it over in Gerudo Town and got the recipe from one of the girls."

"Don't you have to be a girl to even be let into Gerudo?"

He shrugs, "Nothing a pair of traditional Gerudo clothes can't fix."

I start laughing, "You dressed like a girl to get into Gerudo? Wow I admire the dedication."

"If I didn't, we wouldn't be munching on this killer pie."

I shrug, he's got a point. But he only gets one, that's it.

I get down to the last few bites and eat it whole, savoring the crispy crust, juicy mushrooms and tender cubes of meat. Now this could be an orgasm. I may actually need to steal the recipe from him. I look over at Link, who's plate was also barren and stand up, "Here I'll take that from you."

He smiles at me, nothing behind it, just a genuine "thanks" smile that I could get used to.

I put the dishes in the sink, looking around at the absolute mess he made with the flour and giggled. I'll get to that tomorrow but now I'm full of food, in my comfortable pajamas and I'm ready to go the fuck to bed.

I yawn and stretch coming out of the kitchen, "Hey there's a blanket and pillow over where you're sitting for you to sleep with. In case you want to shower I have a spare towel and washcloth too."

"Thanks, I'll definitely be needing that."

I didn't know what else to say, I made the air awkward by looking at him fuck around with the blanket. Ugh.

"Alright well uh, I'm gonna go lay down. Kinda beat."

He didn't even turn to look at me, he's too busy playing with the blanket, "Alright, goodnight then."

"Night."

I turn into my room and slip off my shorts, crawling under all 3 blankets I had on my bed and getting snuggled up and warm. I can sleep in late, get up and work on the blade. I actually need to check my commissions, I fucking forgot trying to rid myself of my horny thoughts about Link.

I groan, rolling over in bed, throwing the blankets over my head and face-planting in the pillow. Can't think if you can't breathe right? Wrong. I could hear footsteps this time, which prompted me to look from under the covers at the door. Link looked at me and grinned, "This the only bathroom you have?"

He let his hair out of the original ponytail and had some of it tucked behind his ear. Most of all he was _shirtless_. Holy fuck he was ripped. Making the whole sword encounter even more steamier than it should have been in the first place. He had scars all over his chest and abs, I could see how muscular his arms were, how _big_ they looked outside of the tunic he wore. He can't be real, there's no way. I could legitimately pass out from the image in front of me.

"Hey are you nodding off?" he asks, stepping towards me and snapping his fingers. 

I jump up and wrap the blanket around me, "Stop that, for fucks sake."

"You didn't answer me."

I opened my mouth to say ' _well you're shirtless in my bedroom_ ' but there's no way I could come back from that, not with how I was rubbing my legs together under the blanket.

"Yeah that's the only one. Unless you want to use the one at the inn for more privacy?"

"Are you gonna invade my privacy if I shower here?" he asked, smirking like an absolute asshole.

I blush, thank god I don't have any lights in here or I would be fucked. 

"Don't be weird."

"I'm not being weird. You're the one moving your legs around."

Oh shit, he noticed. Quick! Lie!

"It's cold."

He gazes at me, his eyes going from my face, to my legs, to my face and then my chest. Oh goddesses help me. What the hell do I do in this situation?

"I'll try and see what I can do about the heat problem." He said, walking past my bed and into the bathroom.

I sigh when he closes the door. How the hell does he keep doing that? He can't be _that_ oblivious right? With his looks and —well I can't say charm because he pretty much threatened to kill me— he's probably had any woman in Necluda, maybe even Hyrule. I want Goddess Hylia to strike me down herself. I didn't think in all my 21 years of life I would be so infatuated with a guy. I've never been like this! Every guy in every region has lusted after me since I became the head blacksmith.

Yet Link moves me in a way I can't even explain.

My eyes finally got heavy as I tried to sort my thoughts and feelings. What do I really think? How do I really feel? Besides sexual attraction, of course. I don't even remember how long Link was in the shower before just falling asleep on my own accord. 

Figure this out. _Fast_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not good at writing summaries and this isn't my favorite chapter, that's why it's kinda short


	4. PreCal Two: Big Brother, Little Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda have a sparring match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok wow this is short I'm sorry? the next few chapters kinda make-up for this; none of this is remotely canon I'm just making stuff up now if you can't tell

_"Okay are you ready?" Link asked._

_Zelda adjusted her stance, got a tighter grip on her sword and nodded, swaying from side to side._

_Link came at her at half his speed, trying to ease Zelda into sword to sword combat. She blocked him, went for a cheap shot but Link jumped backwards just to avoid it in time. She raised her blade above her head and ran at him. He stood tall, hit her ankle lightly, and she stumbled over herself._

_"What'd you do that for?" she yelled, holding her shoulder._

_He shook his head at her, "You can't just literally run into combat like that Zelds. That's how you get killed."_

_She rolled her eyes and slowly stood, shifting around to get her balance straight._

_"While you might get by with that sneaky cheap shot you did, some people will just come at you faster than me."_

_She huffed, going back to her original relaxed position with the sword rested on her shoulder._

_"So then what?"_

_"Well I hope that you would use your shield to your advantage to hold off the attack until you can completely dodge it. Even then, we still have to work on your agility." Link said, putting his sword back in its sheath._

_"You're a bad teacher" she said, walking in front of him, "I'd be better off learning how to fight with Urbosa."_

_Link laughs at her childishness, "You could but she's a close range fighter. You can't even do long range."_

_She elbowed him, "Don't be an asshole. Come on you're supposed to believe in me."_

_They exit the training grounds in Hyrule Castle and journey down the walkways, their main goal now, was to eat something._

_"Yeah but we've been doing this everyday for at least two hours."_

_She smacks her teeth, "What's your point Linky?"_

_"You have gotten better don't get me wrong" he chuckled, "but practice makes perfect."_

_Zelda rolls her eyes as she steps into the dining area and scans the room for something quick to eat. After spotting a bowl of mixed fruits she takes Link's hand and runs for it, laughing at Link's confusion._

_"What–what the hell are you doing!"_

_When she comes to a halt, she moves away to present the bowl of fruit. "Ta-da!" she smiles._

_Link smiles too, as her knight he had a duty to serve and protect the princess. But outside of that she was just Zelda. Loud, obnoxious, smart mouth and childish. Like a little sister._

_"Here stupid. Why are you just standing there?" she said, taking a bite of her apple._

_Link takes a banana from her and peels it, "You're ridiculous you know that right?"_

_She shrugged, "Does it matter?"_

_He shrugged as well. Zelda hopped on top of the dining table to sit, kicking her legs back and forth._

_"So what's on the itinerary today?"_

_She thought to herself, they already did some training, they're eating a snack, hmmmm_

_"I got it! Let's go to the Spring of Power!"_

_Link stopped chewing to look at her, "You wanna try to awaken your power again?"_

_"You said it yourself Linky, 'practice makes perfect'."_

_He laughed and finished his banana, throwing the peel into the trash can, "Well alright princess, let's go."_

_~_

_~_

_~_

_They arrive at the peak of Mount Lanayru, both of them absolutely wiped out. Zelda gazes upon the statue of goddess Hylia and smiles, hope filling her eyes. She wants to do it right this time, she knows she can. And with her power she would be able to help fight Ganon whenever he striked._

_"Hey you okay?" Link asks, putting his hand on her shoulder._

_"Yeah I'm fine, I'm just nervous as usual."_

_"You'll get it, don't worry. There's no reason why you wouldn't."_

_She nods and approaches the statue, the water coming up to her calves. Putting her hands together she closes her eyes and looks down, harmonizing with the sounds around her. Link watched her pray and focus as hard as she could to awaken her powers, but with how long it was taking, there wasn't much hope._

_Zelda at this point was shaking, she couldn't feel anything, the light wasn't shining on her as her father said. She started to cry, "Why? Why can't I do this one fucking thing right?"_

_Link rushed to her side and held her close to him, running his fingers through her hair to comfort her._

_"It's not you, maybe it's just not the right time."_

_She tried to fight him away, "Then WHEN? When is the right fucking time? When Ganon tears the castle apart? When countless people die?"_

_He felt horrible. Knowing how much this meant to her and how upset she gets every time she fails, it broke his heart. She began to sink to her knees before Link approached her and held her while she cried._

_'I'm so sorry Zelds, I don't know what to do either.'_


	5. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your dad sends someone to fetch Link in order to see whether or not he's the real Champion and personal knight of the princess. You finally get to work on your commissions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dude I'm terrible at summaries but I'm trying my best and that's all that matters

I'm awake. I can feel it. No matter how hard I try to fight the sun, it always mocks me. "Get up" or "you have to go do your job and be an adult". It always reminds me of things I don't finish or I don't have _time_ to finish because the human body needs sleep. I wish I wasn't human, so I can do my job efficiently.

I shifted around comfortably, it was warm in here this morning, making it even harder to get up and start the day. When I finally open my eyes, I had a fucking heart attack.

"Oh my goddesses."

Link stirred and mumbled 'be quiet' as he yanked some of the blanket from me. Is _this_ his idea of fixing the "heat problem"? Would it have been better to just tell him he was the reason I was constantly flustered?

Fuck! I don't even know where to begin. I slept pantless because I'm not a maniac. Link had on his pants (thank Hylia) but he was fast asleep, hair a mess, sans shirt, and still looked really _fucking_ good. I'm so fixated on him I don't even want to move, I want to lay here with him. But I don't want it to be weird. Two pals just in bed together right? Not weird, just platonic. At least that's what I wanted to think. Platonic. _Just two pals, sleeping in a bed together._

What do I do? What do I do?

"Hey, lay back down, you're making it cold" Link asks groggily, tugging at the bottom of my shirt.

Who am I to say no to a shirtless stranger? I comply and lay back down slowly, facing away from Link so I didn't have him to hijack anymore of my thoughts. Oh for fucks sake who am I kidding? I can practically feel his body heat against me, I'm losing all critical thinking skills.

I heard a tiny giggle behind me, which was beyond menacing, and I was flipped around by Link's hand, placing me almost 3 _inches_ from his face. He sat up with his head on his hand and looked me up and down for the 5th time since we met. 

"Why the hell are you in my bed?"

"You said you were cold. I said I would look into it" he said, removing his grip from my arm and back to his side.

I can't stop it, I blush furiously. He's doing this on purpose, he has to be. I'm mad for being flattered so easily.

"I-i thought you would put wood in the fireplace or something I don't fucking know."

He smiled, coming closer to me, tilting my head to meet his, "Breakfast?"

I could kill him right then and now with no remorse. That bastard. You wake me up, ask _me_ to stay in my own bed just so you can ask me for breakfast??

Clearly lost in my own thoughts, I hadn't realized Link got closer to me and kissed my earlobe, slowly moving towards my neck. The moan I let out was built up over the last 48 hours. I couldn't even stop it. 

"Link.." I breathe, "What are you doing?"

He grabs my hips and pulls me even closer to him, I could feel his heart beating. I don't even know if I want him to stop. Does he want to stop? 

The hand holding my chin to him gets a tighter grip, the smile on his face getting bigger, and my breathing quickens. Oh my goddesses what was he doing? What am I doing just sitting here taking this? I wanted him more than anything else, and I think he knew.

"Making sure you aren't cold again. Don't want you to ruin the breakfast with your incessant shaking."

How did he manage to turn my horniness into anger so quickly? Fucking asshole. I rip his hands off of me and get out of bed. I can't believe this, he got me so worked up. So fucking worked up I can't think straight. 

Fuck this guy, both figuratively and literally.

~

~

~

A young girl walked into my work space as I was designing the hilt to Link's sword. She rapped loudly on the doorway, "(Y/n)?"

"Yeah what's up?"

"Well um" she started, looking down at her feet, "The chief wants to meet with the Hylian man."

"Link?"

She nods, holding her hands together. I get up from my stool and anvil, doing a small stretch in the process. I open the door to the living room, "Hey Link?"

No response.

I look back at the girl, rubbing the back of my neck, "Alright kid I'm not sure where he is if he's not here with me."

She sighs and nods in defeat, that is, if a certain Hylian didn't show up at the doorway, sweating and out of breath.

"Link!" she gasps.

"Link." I groan.

"Hi, how are you?" He asks the girl, taking her hand and kissing it. I roll my eyes and fold my arms, I can't believe my stupid eyes. How dare he be so chivalrous _now_?

"I'm great now that I've found you" she says, practically swooning where she stood, "But the chief wants to see you. He wants to make sure it's really _you_."

This whole exchange was making me gag, I pushed through them and out of the doorway, "Well while you guys stand there making goo-goo eyes at each other I'm gonna see what my dad wants."

I storm off up the hill towards the chief's cabin. My dad? Link? I better check this out. Link caught up with me, taking my hand and yanking me over to him.

"What's going on with you now?" I ask, wanting nothing to do with him at the moment. Not until I was done having an odd feeling of jealousy.

"Why'd you leave like that?" 

"I want to talk to my dad before you do."

"So you are the chief's daughter?"

"Yes, I'm _head_ blacksmith after he retired from the art and took the position from his father of the village chief."

He smiles, "Huh, alright I gotcha."

I snatch my hand away and climb up the stairs, swinging the door open and walking towards the large chair in the middle of the floor.

"Hello sweet (y/n), how's my girl doing?" my dad asks, getting down from his chair and coming to hug me.

"I'm fine daddy, I'm just concerned."

He cocks his head, " 'Bout what?"

On cue Link walks the door as well, coming up to my dad and kneeling before him. Who the fuck is this guy? This was getting really old, really fast. I point to him, "Link."

His eyes widened and he took Link's hand, bringing him up from the ground, "Is that really your name?"

Link nods. My father looked skeptical but continued anyway.

"Well my father would be glad to see you're okay. I do wonder where your master sword is though, so how do I know it's really you?"

Link rubbed the back of his neck nervously from the looks of it, "Well I wouldn't really know. I've only been awake for a few months now. Trying to remember things."

I look at Link and then my dad. He's been awake for _how many_ months? Trying to remember _what now_? I'm actually a little upset I'm learning about this now. I guess I could have asked him about himself on the horseback ride here, or when we ate dinner last night. Either way this was new information and I was definitely gonna use this later.

"How much do you remember?" My dad asks, both of his hands resting on his cane. It only reminded me of how old he's getting, and how I would eventually be taking his place as village chief. Ugh.

"Well I remember the fall of Hyrule Castle, when Ganon striked and I lost most of my best men in battle. I remember not being able to find Princess Zelda and being hurt badly. Next thing I knew I woke up underground in a room." Link says, tapping his finger on his chin.

"Ohhh so the Shrine of Resurrection isn't a myth after all! I'm sure Purah will be pleased to learn this information."

"Oh jeez Aunt Purah is in on this too?" I groan.

My dad taps my ankle with his cane, "Yes, your aunt was one of the best scientists in Hyrule assigned to research and restore the Guardians and Divine Beasts that would have the power to defeat Ganon once again. Of course, Princess Zelda and her father rounded up a bunch of great men to fight on the line of duty."

Link smiles, "I'd be happy to speak with her as well."

"Excellent! My daughter can show you where she lives! You can take it from there."

My dad taps me ankle again, "Alright alright just stop hitting me with that thing."

"Don't forget your orders (y/n)! You can't just goof off with Link the whole time."

"Yeah yeah." I wave back at him. I make my way to the door, Link following behind me.

The trek up there wasn't bad, but it was weird that the both of us were silent for a good portion of it. Is he trying to remember the past right now?

"Didn't realize you were related to the most influential scientist Hyrule has ever seen."

I roll my eyes, "Yeah?"

He runs up the hill ahead of me, skipping backwards, "Yeah, this'll be fun. Now I don't have to wander around Necluda all day everyday."

"Okay well" I say, pointing up to Purah's tower, "There you have it."

Link smiles at me, but quickly frowns as I turn around to make my way down the hill.

"(Y/n) where are you going?"

"Didn't you hear my dad? I've got orders to finish. I'll catch up with you later."

He smirked, checking me out once again, "Yeah you better."

Oh fuck you, you fucking stupid _sexy_ prick. UGH why is it getting harder to insult him? I continue down the hill, stopping by the general store to pick up a few things for some lunch. 

"Hiya (y/n)!"

I wave at the shopkeeper, "Hey Mur, how's business?"

"Going pretty well! Everyone in the village is relieved to see Link around."

I pluck a few bundles of rice and grab the rest of the hearty truffles, "What is everyone's deal with him? I thought he was just the princess' noble knight that she lost before I was born."

"Oh no he is. But your grandfather forged a replica of the master sword for the royal family. And that sword held a spirit created by Hylia, who had chosen someone to wield it already. And whaddya know, Link was up in the castle swinging it around, fighting off Ganon and his cronies."

Huh, a special sword that picks it's owner? And it picks Link? What a small world. I pick up a bottle of goat milk and set it down in front of Mur. He took down the totals to everything and started adding them up.

"Well why doesn't he have the sword?"

"According to your aunt, after he fell in Calamity Ganon he was sent to the Shrine of Resurrection by Princess Zelda herself as she stayed behind in the castle to use her magic against Ganon. This was 100 years ago by the way, way before you were born" he says, putting all my things in a cloth bag, "No one really knows where it is now, and if they do know, they would die trying to wield it. It was meant for Link and Link only."

"Well how do you know all this?"

"It is an ancient tale everyone has passed down for decades dear."

I nod, fair enough. So Link is 100 years old? He was a knight in Hyrule Castle? What the fuck else is going on with this dude I'm not aware about? To be fair he did have a bunch of scars, but I'm not sure when he got them, they did heal over though. Hmmmm I think, maybe after talking with Aunt Purah I can ask him some questions. I wonder if that's why he acts like such an entitled bastard all the time. Cause some fucking sword chose him. I handed Mur some rupees and waved goodbye as I left the shop.

Starting for home I think to myself. Did he happen to have a relationship with Zelda? Like a _romantic_ relationship? The jealousy feeling came back. They'd be a great couple, ugh. What will happen when he makes it into the castle? Will he just forget about me? Nevermind, I can't even bear to think about it now. I don't even know why I'm thinking about it now.

I can't believe my grandfather made the Princess a _sword._ I want to see what it looks like! My dad learned from him, so it has to be even greater than I could've ever imagined. I'll have to ask more about it tomorrow. For right now I'm just gonna put away my groceries and get started on commissions. Now that Link isn't here, I might actually get them all done. 

Sounds like a plan.


	6. PreCal Three: The Breakup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things aren't going well between Revali and Zelda. Link lends a helping hand.

_"Zelds are you sure you're okay?" Link asked._

_He sat on her bed as she paced the room. She couldn't do this. Revali was charming at first but now he was bad. Nevermind all the mental abuse and gaslighting he did to her frequently, breaking her spirit more than Ganon ever could. He was always flirting and everyone saw him. He couldn't deflect this. This was the leverage Zelda needed to leave him._

_"I want this to work."_

_"I know you do but you're making me nervous."_

_"I don't think we should have gotten into a relationship. Not because he's a champion but because he's too power hungry and promiscuous."_

_Link rolled his eyes, "You and the rest of the world."_

_Zelda shot him a look before sighing, "I just really really really like Mipha."_

_"But how do you know Mipha likes you like the way you like her?" Link asks, visibly confusing himself._

_Zelda stomps her foot and whines, "I don't know! I don't know! What if she doesn't and I look ridiculous after breaking up with Revali? He's gonna be an even bigger asshole than before."_

_"I don't know why you started dating him anyway" Link huffed, folding his arms, "He never does anything nice for you."_

_Zelda looks at him, getting teary eyed, "I know, I feel so fucking stupid. But he was so sweet before, remember? He bought me flowers–"_

_Link jumps up immediately to comfort her as she starts to sob quietly._

_"You're not stupid, I promise."_

_"I don't know what happened."_

_Link had a smartass comment on the tip of his tongue but with the state Zelda was in he decided to keep it to himself._

_"Okay I'll make a deal with you" Link says, as Zelda looks up at him with sad eyes, "I'll ask Mipha what she thinks of you and then you can go from there yeah?"_

_She sniffed and nodded, "I don't know what I would do without you."_

_"Probably be dead."_

_She frowned at him as he started laughing and roughing up her hair, "I'm kidding. I'll be back okay?"_

_She smiled at him, "I'm counting on you Linky."_

_~_

_~_

_~_

_The morning after that, Link arrived in Zora's Domain on a mission for his best friend. He walked up the polished luminous stone stairs and through the heavily detailed archways. The guards greeted him and he saluted them. By the time he reached the main floor, Mipha was at the water fountain in the center of the small community._

_"Morning Link."_

_He nodded, "Mipha."_

_She folded her arms, "What brings you here Royal Knight?"_

_He rubs his neck and looks around nervously for a few seconds, "Well actually can we talk somewhere a little more private?"_

_Mipha held up in the air by his throat at a speed even he couldn't compete with, "Link if you try anything I will end you."_

_"I know." He breathed, not getting nearly enough air as he needed to really speak._

_She put him down and he collapsed, gasping for air, "Okay well come on then."_

_After catching his breath again, they walk over to the inn and the receptionist gives them a room – on the house of course, as she is the princess of Zora's Domain – and they enter. Link shuts the door, and turns to look at Mipha who sat on the bed with a stern look on her face._

_"Okay I'm sorry this is weird but like uh" he started, right before losing his train of thought, "Uh—"_

_"Link hurry up."_

_"Oh shit okay okay okay—"_

_"Come on!"_

_"Okay sorry! Zelda is going to break up with Revali because she likes you. Like, likes you, likes you."_

_Mipha's cheeks turned red, "She does?"_

_"Yeah. Revali is an asshole even to her, even when she gave him control to Vah Medoh."_

_"Ungrateful bastard."_

_"Yeah." Link sighs._

_"Well I have to see her!" Mipha shouts, barely containing her emotions._

_"So you like her too?"_

_Mipha runs up and grabs both of Link's hands, bouncing up and down, "Yes! I was sure she was into Urbosa though but this is just great! Take me to her!"_

_Link smiles, "That's a day and a half horse ride and almost an hour just to get down this mountain by foot."_

_"I don't care! I want to see her."_

_He shrugged and smiled, "Alright, let's get going then."_

_~_

_~_

_~_

_When they arrive at Hyrule Castle, they spot Zelda in the garden watering her herbs and vegetables. Link knew automatically that whenever she did this, Revali made her cry or something close to the matter._

_"Zelds!" Link shouted._

_When she turned to look, her eyes went wide as Mipha jogged towards her._

_"Are you okay?"_

_Zelda, at a loss for words, just nods._

_Link looked around, hoping to catch Revali walking around somewhere._

_"What did he do now?" he asked, bending down to her level._

_"It doesn't matter."_

_Link furrowed his brow. She didn't want to tell him because he would go after Revali immediately._

_"Yes it does."_

_"I tried explaining that I couldn't be with someone who constantly flirts with other girls like I don't exist. Then he tried to turn it on me and it was stupid and–"_

_"He's been flirting with other women?" Mipha said, almost shouting._

_She was losing her cool as well, but Link had already lost his before he even started talking._

_"Where is he now?" Link asks._

_Zelda turns to look at him, his eyes darker than usual. 'He's going to flip' she thought, 'he's going to find Revali and beat the hell out of him and lose control.'_

_"Link—"_

_He narrowed his eyes, sometimes it was annoying having a Royal Knight who acted as her brother sometimes. This was one of definitely those times._

_"Don't do this. Not right now."_

_He wanted to argue with her. Revali was an asshole. Every opportunity he had he would gaslight her into thinking she was the problem as he went and slept with other girls. He stopped caring about her when she gave him Vah Medoh. That's why Link hated him the most. He used Zelda to get to the Divine Beast._

_Link stormed off, in an attempt to find Revali. Mipha gazed softly at Zelda, "So you broke up with him?"_

_She nodded, putting her watering can on the ground, "I can't stop Link from running after him though."_

_Mipha rolled her eyes, "We just can't stop Link period. If his mind is set there's nothing we can do."_

_Zelda laughed and stood up, 3 feet from Mipha. She hugged her tightly, "I'm so glad you're here."_

_"I'm glad too" Mipha says, rubbing her back, "So you got another watering can lying around? It will get done faster if we both do it."_

_Zelda laughs, "Yeah I do, I'll grab it for you."_


	7. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You ask Link about his past and more about the divine beasts. Surprisingly, you wake up early in the morning to make elixirs for him while chatting with your Aunt Purah.

I lay out the orders one by one on my table, setting up a little card with the names in front of them. I'll wrap them up and deliver them first thing tomorrow morning. I let out a sigh of relief, now that _that's_ out of the way, I grab a bundle of fruit and take it to Mabel's stable across the way. She whinnied, happy to see me. I set it in her feeding tray and exchanged some sweet words, petting her and straightening her mane.

"Alright sweet girl, eat up. We've got some deliveries to do tomorrow!"

"All by yourself (y/n)?"

I turn around to Link approaching me, his arms folded in what? Disapproval? Fuck you dude.

"Yes, _all by myself_. I've never had a problem with it before and I damn sure don't have one now."

He smiled mischievously and took my chin into his hands again, "I hope you'll be back by dinner time yeah (y/n)?"

"I'm not your personal fucking maid. Besides don't you have to go look for Zelda and that damn sword?"

His smile faded, as he moved his hand away, "I don't know if you were listening but I have no clue where that sword is."

"Standing here fucking with me isn't helping."

He shrugs, "I'm sure I'll stumble across it soon. Don't see why I wouldn't."

"Maybe you should just focus on remembering things first."

He starts walking in the direction of the house and turns to look at me, "Hey are you coming or what?" 

"Yeah yeah."

He sits on the couch, pulls out the Sheikah Slate and starts tapping on it, thinking to himself by the looks of it. I slap my hand in the middle of it. That didn't spark a good reaction as he looked up at me with dark eyes.

"What do you think _you're_ doing (y/n)?"

"Who are you? How old are you really? What the fuck is your deal?"

He closes his eyes and sighs, pulling me down next to him and hooking the slate on his belt.

"I'm still not sure myself but as far as I'm concerned the room I was in healed my wounds from Calamity, kept me asleep until I woke up fit enough to stop Ganon one more time." he spoke, fiddling with his hands in his lap.

"So then if you were asleep all these years, how old were you before?"

"Twenty-three."

"Oh okay, well then _what_ were you from before?"

"I saw some pictures in the slate, it looks like I was a higher ranking knight than others" he says, pulling the slate out again. After tapping on it for a second, he shows me a picture of him and 20 other people, all in similar colored outfits and weapons, except Link's was more ornate and well fitted than the others. He wore a navy beret with red around the bottom and a golden emblem on the front. His hair was shorter and you could clearly see his small blue earrings. The navy coat lined with gold and a red turtleneck underneath made him look strong and confident. Paired with it were plain off black pants and over the knee white boots. He had a large sword in front of him, both hands on the handle, the tip pointed down. What troubled me the most were his eyes, the dark cyan I've seen before. What the fuck happened before this picture was taken?

"Oh wow, uh, jeez." My face went red again, he was so handsome in this picture. I mean it's not like he _stopped_ being handsome but fucking Hylia's sake, he just looked stunning. I understand a little why they called him the 'Hero of Hyrule', he even dressed the part.

"Oh and there's more pictures too, Zelda, Purah and I standing in front of a Guardian" he said, swiping to show me. Purah looked so different before her experiment, it was really shocking. Zelda had a blunt cut hairstyle with blue barrettes, and Link was between them, a huge smile on his face, wearing the same red turtleneck and his hair high up in a bun with little chopsticks.

"Aww that's really cute. You look really happy."

He chuckled, "I would hope so with how big I was smiling. I don't even remember this."

He sounded so dejected, and I genuinely felt bad. I've never seen this side of him, it was refreshing at the most but I wanted him to share more of these memories with me because it sounded natural to him even if he doesn't remember. Maybe even talking about the pictures could help.

He swiped on the slate again, bringing up a picture of Zelda and another woman. I wasn't sure who that was, but they were holding hands and smiling.

"Who is she?"

He squinted at the picture and zoomed in, "I'm not sure. But Zelda looks so relaxed."

Huh, you would think they had something going on if they were holding hands. It was comforting for my earlier thoughts, but even now I felt guilty for having them in the first place. I don't even know Princess Zelda. 

"We don't have to keep looking through these if you don't want to." I say, holding Link's hand. It felt imperative at the moment just to take his hand, even _I_ was shocked.

He made a small smile and put the slate away, putting his other hand on top of mine. We stare into each other's eyes of course because it'd be weird if we didn't. His eyes were back to the bright cyan and the freckles on his face were more prominent. I tear away my gaze, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"Oh uh, did you happen to want anything to eat?"

"No" he says softly, "Just stay here for a second."

I comply as Link leans back into the couch throwing his head back and closing his eyes. It was quiet between us. And not even excruciating or awkward. Just comfortable silence.

"I like this. Why didn't we do this before?" he asks, his eyes still closed.

I doubletake, "Do what?"

"Just sit here and talk. I haven't had anyone _listen_ to me since I walked out of the shrine. I like it."

"Probably because everything you've said up to this point has unlocked a level of anger in me I didn't know I had."

He laughed at that, "I guess that's true."

"Are you always like this to women you travel with? Flirting with them and sleeping in their beds?"

"I haven't travelled with any women at all. I've been by myself mostly."

That sent a pang through my chest. By himself? No one listens to him and he travels alone. What does he do when it's cold or raining or storming? Oh fuck why am I even worried about that? Especially right now? Can't you just bask in the moment (y/n)? 

"Oh I'm sorry!" I blurted out. 

He looked over at me with one eye open, "You don't have to be. I'm shocked you even said 'sorry'."

"Yeah well that'll be the only time."

"I hope not."

I giggle and move some hair out of my face and mouth, "So what did you talk about with Aunt Purah?"

"She explained the whole sword thing again in detail. I guess it's weird for people to see me without it" he says, squeezing my hand a bit, "And the Divine Beasts."

"Oooo that sounds spooky."

"Eh not really. They were our defense when Ganon striked years ago but then after Calamity he took control of them, and they are being kind of an inconvenience in the five regions that have them."

I nod, "I gotcha. Okay so what does that mean?"

He stands up to stretch, turning to face me, "I have to take them back to free the spirits of their respective pilots. Purah mentioned it will be much easier to strike on the castle if all beasts were taken from Ganon. I don't know how long it will take for each beast but I would enjoy it if you'd be here to greet me."

"Well of course I'm gonna be here, I fucking live here dude."

He laughs, "I hope I don't get tired of that."

~

~

~

I step out of the shower and dry myself off, letting my hair down and slipping on a long t-shirt I stole from my dad. Link sat at the end of the bed, waiting for me to stop hogging the bathroom.

"Sleeping in here with me again tonight?" I ask, walking around him to the other side of the bed.

"Yeah, I don't see why not."

I shrug, "As long as you don't try anything."

"Yeah like what?" he asks, turning to face me.

I blush, "I don't fucking know. You know what I mean though."

He laughs as he stands up and goes into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Hearing the shower run put me in a trance. I didn't realize how tired I was until I laid down. Of course to maximize the experience I get under the blanket and lay on my stomach. I had been working so hard on my orders my arms were sore and there were a few bruises where I accidentally hit myself instead of the hot metal.

My eyes started closing and for a second I was fast asleep, until the bed started moving. I opened my eyes to see Link laying beside me, his back turned to me. Odd but whatever. I close my eyes again and pay no mind. The bed shifts and I angrily open my eyes again, just for Link to turn around and pull me into his chest. Odd but okay, this is new. He's really warm and smells like pine trees and courser bee honey. I melt into him a bit, comforted by his affectionate touch that I'm seeing for the first time I've met him. His heartbeat was slow, I guess he was also falling asleep.

"I'm going to be leaving tomorrow. Up to Zora's Domain."

I open my eyes faster than I could even close them, "W-what?"

He takes a deep breath and holds me tighter, "I'm gonna take care of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta."

Why am _I_ kinda hurt that he's leaving? I mean the way he worded it, it doesn't sound like he's gonna be gone forever. Plus what he said earlier about coming back to see me, why is my brain trying to be mean to me? I don't even know what to say. I know he's traveled alone before he came across me but I can't help but feel concerned. I believe in him though. If everyone across the nation believed in him, there's no reason why I shouldn't.

"Okay" I say, "Come back in one piece then."

His small chuckle vibrated through me, "Yeah, I will."

I smile to myself, savoring this pure moment between us. No death threats, no aggression, just being here together, as two separate people. Sharing a bed with a stranger. Well not so much of a stranger to the world as much as he was a stranger to me. But he could be more than that, maybe a good friend. I don't want to say boyfriend because goddess forbid I get ahead of myself.

"Night Link."

He nuzzles his face into my neck, "G'nite (y/n)."

~

~

I roll over and make sure Link is asleep. He _definitely_ is, seeing as his snoring just gets louder. I crawl out of bed slowly and tiptoe to the kitchen. If he's going to Zora's Domain what elixirs would he need the most? Hmmmm stamina maybe? I pull the jar of restless crickets from the cabinet and think to myself. I'm not even familiar with that region. They have a blacksmith on site and that's all I know, since I've never gotten a commission from them. I'll do a few healing elixirs too, fuck it. I load everything I need into a cotton tote (including the slate) and sneak out (of my own house) to see my aunt. It was just barely dawn, at least 4am and I figured she would be up by now. Some people were moving around about their day and others weren't. By the time I make it up the hill I'm out of breath. Fuck, why did she choose this place for her lab? This shit's impossible. It would have made too much noise if I took Mabel. I need this to be a surprise. I mean I _did_ want him to come back in one piece.

I burst open the door, "Auntie!"

She turns and looks at me, her smile progressively getting bigger, "(Y/n)! What are you doing here so early?"

"I have some questions" I say, running up to her and taking the Sheikah Slate out of my bag, "And I also need to make elixirs in here."

She gives me a quizzical look before taking the slate from me with steady hands, "How did you manage to get close enough to Link to have this?"

"Well A) I took it, B) I didn't do anything, he just started sleeping in my bed."

Purah's eyes widened, "I'm sorry _Linky_ is sleeping in your bed?"

I nod, "Usually with me in it. I don't know what his deal is."

She nods and takes a deep breath, "Ithinkhehasasmallcrushyoualotbuthedoesntknowhowtoactproperly."

I blink, "I'm sorry, do that again?"

She sighs and looks up from the slate, "I think he has a small crush on you but he doesn't know how to act properly."

I put my bag of bugs and monster parts on her table, "What makes you say that?"

"He asked me about you. Like your childhood and what you were like when you first started crafting armor and weapons. Just little things."

Odd, but ok. Sounded a wee bit stalkerish but for fucks sake he was sleeping in my bed as we speak. Purah started unloading the items from my bag, putting the slate aside and shaking the jars around.

"What are you doing with all this?"

"Well he told me he was going to Zora's Domain to take back one of the Divine Beasts and" I blush thinking about the next part, "And he wanted me to be home to greet him. I just wanna make sure he makes it back."

She snickered and I threw my hands up in defense, "I-i don't want his blood on my hands!"

"You won't, regardless of how you feel. He's strong. And strong-willed. He was thrilled to make progress on taking Ganon down. He misses his best friend as well."

I took her mortar and pestle from under the table and put a few monster parts inside, crushing it to a powder.

"Zelda?"

She nodded, jumping down from her stool to go into the kitchen, "Yeah. Those two bickered so damn often I thought they were related for the longest time."

I smiled at the thought, that's really cute. At least being the royal knight wasn't all business.

"He hasn't regained his memories completely but, when he does, some of the things will crush him."

The water runs for a few seconds and stops as she puts the kettle on the stovetop and lights it. I put the pestle down and tap my fingers on the table. She comes back into the room, using her little step stool to get back on her chair, taking the mortar from me and dumping the dust into an empty jar. She hands it back to me, "Has he talked to you about anything besides him being hot-headed and a huge flirt?"

"Well the hot-headed part you nailed right on the head" I laugh, putting a few critters into the mortar and crushing them, "and he has been flirting with me quite a bit."

"Has he been drinking?"

I stop dead in my tracks, "What?"

"He uh, he's definitely a character when he drinks. I remember when he, Mipha and Zelda had shown up after spending time in Rito with Revali" she laughs to herself, "They teased him the whole time about how many girls he hooked up with that night."

I fidget a bit and go back to crushing the bugs into a paste, not having any words for that little story. 

"That poor bastard had a killer headache too."

My heart pounded in my chest, what the fuck is she talking about? Is he a sex addict? Is he a drunk? I didn't realize how loud I was making noise until Purah cleared her throat.

"(y/n)!"

I look up, taking me completely out of my trance, "What?"

"Did you hear me?"

"Which part?"

She sighs, taking the mortar from me and dumping the contents in the jar as well.

"That's what I mean, about him not really knowing how to act properly. He's been asleep for 100 years and he gets thrown into Hyrule and meets a pretty girl like you. He's still in his old habits."

"Old habits die hard don't they?" I say, taking another jar of bugs and dumping it into the mortar.

"Well with you, I hope they do. I don't need the 'Hero of Hyrule' to string my niece around."

I give her a look and laugh, "What makes you think he'd get away with it?"

"You're a softie."

"Am not!"

She laughs, the kettle whistling over her voice. I stand, "Don't worry Auntie I got it."

She snaps her fingers, "See?"

"But you're family! I didn't even meet this guy until three days ago."

"Yeah but I'll be damned if he isn't a charmer."

Oh please, which part? He threatened me once and almost killed me in the sexiest way possible the other day. Not a single thing about that is charming. I bring the kettle over to the table and pour some of the water into the jar. Purah puts on the lid and gives it a shake, "Be patient with him, he doesn't know how women work these days."

"Compared to 100 years ago?"

She shrugs, setting the jar down, "Things change."

I guess she had a point. I sit across from her again and start on the next batch of monster parts.

"Who is Mipha?"

She sets the jar aside, "Who was Mipha. She was actually the princess of Zora's Domain and Zelda's long-term girlfriend. She died trying to take back Vah Ruta."

"Oh jeez. I would have never guessed she'd be into women."

"Well she sure as hell wasn't into Link. Although she did have a short lived relationship with Revali, and Link resented him when they broke up. _Well_ , he tolerated him before and after that too."

I push the mortar to her and she dumps it in the jar, "Oh really?"

"Yeah, they were unfortunately the most competitive pair of boys I've ever seen. Everything was a game or a bet and Link never wanted to lose against Revali and vice versa."

I smile, I can definitely see Link being competitive. And from the brother/sister relationship I'm gonna go ahead and guess he was really protective over Zelda as well.

"Granted while they didn't compete for Zelda, he hated how much he tried to 'fix' her into liking men more than women."

Oof, didn't like that. Sounds like an actual asshole and in return makes Link look like an angel.

She pushed the mortar back to me, "Just be patient with him (y/n), I know how your temper is."

"I'm trying."

"You're just like your mother."

I laugh, "Okay I get it."

"So, care to explain why you took his slate?"

"Oh! I wanted to know how to use it. He carries that around instead of a little knapsack so I figured I would surprise him with a few elixirs."

"Well that's actually sweet of you."

I shrug and start smashing a new set of bugs, "Well you only get one."

She puts it in between us on the table, "Okay so here it shows his inventory. If he needs to take something out he can just click on an item" she says, tapping on a Hyrule herb, "Press 'take' and wham." she says, the herb materializing itself in the familiar blue light.

"So how do I put stuff in it?"

She holds it up to the finished healing elixir, "Navigate to the camera and tap on the screen to make it focus. It will show the name on the top of the screen and give you a list of options. Locate and store. You use the store button to put it in. The locate function is for when you want to find it out in the wild. It will chirp when you're near it.

She snaps a photo of it and it dematerializes in the blue light.

"Okay that's actually pretty straightforward."

"If I designed it, it's not hard to navigate." she says, giving me an awkward wink. Usually because she closes both of her eyes.

"Okay so we have two down?"

"Yup, three to go."

~

~

~

Sheikah Slate in hand I had made four healing elixirs and three stamina elixirs. I was feeling confident as I took my time home, stopping at the general store to pick up some eggs and Hylian mushrooms. I walked through my workshop and opened the door to the living room, peeking in my bedroom to see if Link was still asleep. He is of course, which means I have just enough time to try and make a proper breakfast. I mean it's only just since he has a big fight ahead of him right? Don't overthink it. I tiptoe into the kitchen and start cutting up mushrooms. I toss them in the pan with goat butter and rock salt before moving to cut up raw prime meat and throwing it into the pan, sauteing them on a high flame. In a separate bowl I combine 4 bird eggs and a pinch of goat milk and whisk it together. That will do for scrambled eggs. I took a step back and looked at my handiwork so far. Between us _I_ was the better cook. 

Stirring came from my bedroom before Link made his way into the kitchen rubbing his eyes, "What are you doing?"

I smile to myself as I transfer the meat and mushrooms to two separate plates, "Making breakfast. This is what you wanted, remember?"

He scratched his head, "Uh yeah I guess I do remember now. (Y/n)—"

Before he could say anything else, the eggs sizzled a bit, interrupting his sentence. When I turn to look at him he's gone and his hands are around my hips. The pine and honey smell returns.

"(Y/n) I'm sorry for how I've been kind of behaving."

"I–it's fine. No harm no foul right?"

Oops, don't want him to know what I was doing earlier this morning. I guess this one time I'll take Purah's advice to heart.

_"Just be patient with him (y/n), I know how your temper is."_

I'll do that, he doesn't have to explain himself to me just yet, at least until he's ready. Between now and then, I'll work on my temper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is kinda late, I got distracted and didn't have any down time so, here's the chapter


	8. PreCal Four: The Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link loses his temper with Revali, causing a rift in their relationship. Mipha gets the girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhh my god this is so late yikes , sorry to everyone who was looking for this. I just got home so enjoy gamers.

_ Link was on fire. In a metaphorical sense. He was so furious, angry, upset; all the words you could think of to describe his feelings towards Revali.  _

_ It was one thing to be pissed off at him when he was bitching about losing to Link, but it was a whole different ball game when it came to Zelda. No one hurts her, and he meant no one. As her personal knight it felt right to not only protect her physical being but her emotions as well. He was over it. 'We can find another champion to pilot Vah Medoh easily' he thought to himself, 'but this fucking guy has to go.' _

_ Link slammed open every room in the castle, hoping to catch Revali before he made his triumphant escape after making Zelda depend on him more. He used his access to the Divine Beast to control her in addition to his own sick methods. Link grew angrier every second, 'I fucking hate him. I fucking hate him!' Link thought. _

_ He had two more rooms, the sanctum and Zelda's study.  _

_ He ripped open the door to Zelda's study. He's not here. _

_ His pace just gets faster. His knuckles are white from balling up his fists so hard. This is what Zelda feared, Link –given his environment– was going to kill Revali. _

_ This time he kicks in the door to the sanctum. If King Rhoam were here he would scold Link without hesitation. The Royal Knight to his daughter kicking in doors? It wouldn't fly past him.  _

_ Link locked eyes with Revali, his hands under the shirt of one of his fellow knights.  _

_ That was it. That was the cherry on top of 'I'm going to kill Revali' sundae. _

_ Link rushed to Revali with speed even he couldn't compete with and held a dagger to his neck. The knight gasped and Link turned to her, his eyes dark, "Leave. Right now." _

_ She whimpered and ran off, the closing of the double doors making the only sound in the room. All that could be heard after were the heartbeats of the two men. _

_ Revali laughed, even with a dagger at his neck, "Linky come on, cockblocking me again?" _

_ Link growled, "You fucking degenerate. You have done too much fucking damage to the princess and my goddesses I would take you the fuck out right now. I'm stronger than you and you know that." _

_ Revali kept laughing, the action mocking Link, and he dug the dagger into his throat, drawing blood. _

_ "Forfeit control of Vah Medoh. I'll pilot it if I have to. I'm tired of seeing your fucking face." _

_ Revali's expression stiffened. He knew when Link was playing and when he was serious. And this time if he didn't comply with Link's orders he would lose his life in the sanctum of his ex girlfriend's father. _

_ "Okay then let's go to Zelda. Say it to her face." Revali said. _

_ Link still hesitated to let him go. He wanted to end this once and for all. Why let him go to break another poor girl's heart?  _

_ "Fine" Link said, retracting his grip, "Walk in front of me. If you run I will send you to Goddess Hylia herself." _

_ Revali scoffed and started towards the double doors. Link was stronger than him, physically and in the hierarchy of the champions. He held the same power as his fellow knights and they were right next to Zelda's position. This was definitely a way to kill Revali's ego.  _

_ ~ _

_ ~ _

_ ~ _

_ If the girls weren't in the garden they were definitely in Zelda's room by now. Link and Revali made their way towards her door and Link rapped lightly. The sounds of Zelda and Mipha giggling were heard, and Zelda opened the door to peek.  _

_ Her smile faded as she saw Link's face, Revali's throat with dried blood, and the dagger Link was still holding. _

_ "Link–" _

_ "Zelda–" _

_ Mipha pushed Zelda out of the way playfully, soon her demeanor changed as well. All four of them were silent, until Link spoke in a low voice, "He cannot be the champion of Vah Medoh." _

_ "Link that's a loaded sentence." Zelda said, opening the door wider so the men could come in. _

_ Link shoved Revali hard, the Rito native hitting the floor with a thud. _

_ "Ouch dude, come on I'm precious cargo." _

_ "Shut the hell up!" _

_ "Link!" Zelda yelled, tears already welling up in her eyes. She was so sensitive, especially when Link was being explosive and out of character. _

_ "Okay can we start from the beginning? Well I mean not really but like after you left the garden?" Mipha asks. _

_ Link wipes his blade on his turtleneck and placed it back in its sheath, "I went and looked for Revali. I found him in the sanctum feeling up one of my fellow knights." _

_ Mipha gasped, "What the fuck?" _

_ Zelda sniffled, any point now she would burst into sobs. This week has not been good for her. _

_ "Revali is Link serious? Did you really do that in the sanctum? Have you no respect for the family that gave you the Champion title?" She said, her voice getting louder. _

_ Revali was silent and Zelda went on, this time screaming and even crying, "I would say I can't believe you, but this is on the nose. This is so typical for you. I'm just disgusted with how careless you are becoming. You disrespected my father and I and you would make us look like a joke if we continue to have you on the team. I will have a talk with my father in the morning. I don't ever want to see you again!" _

_ Revali's face twisted, he was mad but it was just. He got what he wanted and lost all of it in a flash. He could win her back, he was the best warrior on the western frontier. He stood and shoved Link to the side as he walked out of her room, not to be seen after he turned a corner. _

_ Zelda was crying hard at this point and fell to her knees. She felt so weak and naïve. She let this man walk all over her, manipulate her and use her for things he wanted. And he never wanted Zelda, he just wanted her power. 'This time', she reassured, 'I'll take his power.' _

_ Mipha came to her side and Link took three steps forward before Zelda shot her head up to him, "And you!" _

_ Link backed away for a second. He was going to feel her wrath after being so reckless and fueled with anger. In his heart he wanted to do right by her and keep her safe and happy. But she was genuinely pissed this time. _

_ "I told you not to go after him and you disobeyed me! Why did you do that?" _

_ "He hurt you!" _

_ "That's not an excuse! It's never an excuse! You can't protect my emotions Link! You can only protect my being and that's it." _

_ "Zelds–" _

_ "Leave! I don't want to see you right now." _

_ Mipha held Zelda to her chest as she cried. She mouthed, 'Talk later' to Link and he turned around to leave the room. Shutting the door behind him he let out a huge sigh. He got blindsided by his anger and he knew there was no way to justify what he did. But Revali deserved it. And he deserves everything that happens to him down the road. _


	9. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link leaves for Zora's Domain. You finally get to deliver your orders to Gerudo Town and Kakariko Village. In between then you end up becoming a big sister.

"Alright I'm leaving!" Link shouts, standing in the doorway.

I peek out of my room and grin, "Alright, come back in one piece, yeah?"

"Of course."

I was getting changed into lighter clothes for the trip to Gerudo. It's hot as all hell there and I am definitely going to do some shopping. The dust is still heavy but I can navigate. I don’t bother putting on the headpiece, it just gets in the fucking way. I put my hair in a ponytail and walk out of the room. I lock the door as I leave the main room and look around for a weapon in the absolute pile of mess on the table.

Okay this dagger will do. I pick it up and take up the bow and arrow. I pick up the orders from Gerudo and take them out, placing them carefully in the pouch I hooked onto the side of Mabel. A few jars of cold water and some bananas will stave me off on the way there, but I did have some mushrooms and raw meat to eat when I settled at a stable. I pat Mabel's head before jumping onto her, "Alright girl, you ready?"

She whinnies and I give her a slight kick, First stop, Gerudo Town.

~

~

I don't ride at night. Way too much shit going on. Granted the sun was peeking behind the castle and left a smidge of light, all the noises around me got louder. I don't want to use my dagger because that means I'll be doing close combat when ideally I want to stay as far away as possible. Long range is more my style, but I'm kind of rusty, so I wouldn't depend on me doing any sort of damage. I sigh and give Mabel another kick, sending her into a full gallop. 

Another kick sends Mabel to full speed. At this rate I should make it before the sun sets completely. Fuck, this is actually genuinely scary for the first time since I've been traveling. I guess Link made me feel protected when I was with him, simply because he had a bigger arsenal. But he was also a Royal Knight. I sigh, I wonder if his old uniform is lying around somewhere in Hyrule Castle. It'd be nice to see him in it in real life. The picture doesn't do him justice.

Unfortunately, the whole way to the stable I just thought of what Aunt Purah said. 

_ "Has he talked to you about anything besides him being hot-headed and a huge flirt?" _

A huge flirt huh? Back a century ago? And now he has – maybe – developed genuine feelings and isn't quite sure how to act on them. Is that what I'm being patient about? Or just him saving Hyrule? Way to be vague Auntie, I thought, rolling my eyes.

When I finally got to Dueling Peaks stable, the manager grinned at me. I guess he remembered my face, unfortunately it wasn't forgettable seeing as I was constantly on the move. Being at home for a few days was refreshing though, I won't lie. It's so beautiful there. So much greenery, the sounds of the river, the children playing. I already miss it. 

I pull Mabel's reins a bit and slowly come to a stop. I get off slowly, knowing full well I would fall on my face if I tried to rush, my legs lack the strength to stand immediately after riding a few hours.

The manager waves at me and I pull Mabel along, "Nice to see you again, how's business?"

He grins, "Still as explosive as ever. Glad to see you here. No blondie today?"

I laugh, I'm gonna start calling Link 'Blondie' now, "No he's going to Zora's Domain."

The manager nodded, "It's quite a ways."

"I'm trying to get things accomplished while he's away. Too much of a distraction."

He chuckles and hands the book to me to sign in order to board Mabel, "With you two I was sure it was love at first sight."

"Oh please, I don't even fucking like him as it is."

"That's what they all say. Beedle is here in case you need some knickknacks."

I nod and thank him, walking into the stable and doing a few stretches. I'm still not even  _ close  _ to Gerudo. I can't rush it though, I still have a few more places to go after too, but they are on the way back which makes it a little quicker. I approach the lanky man with a huge backpack on and give him a small wave, "Beedle!"

"(Y/n)! Hello again!"

I sit down in front of him and grab my small sack of rupees, "Whatcha got today?"

"Oh! of course, have a look-see!"

He flips down a little table with bugs and arrows on it. I crinkle my nose, seeing as nothing here would do me any good right at this moment. I opt to buy a few critters to make more elixirs when I get home and thank him for his time. I go over to the stable manager and buy a soft bed, flop down onto it and fall asleep.

~

~

I perk up at the sight of two Gerudian women guarding the doorway of the town. I wave at them and slowly wiggle my way off of Mabel, and take her reins in hand, "Hiya! Mind watching Mabel for me?" I ask, holding out a silver rupee. The ladies smile and take her reins from me as they give her some pets. I take the wrapped swords from her side and walk up the stairs and into the throne room of the village chief. She stands from her chair and throws her hands up, "(Y/n)!"

I smile at her and do my best to bow to her with two heavy ass swords in my hand, "Riju! How are you sweet girl?"

"I'm okay, still kinda bummed on not having the Thunder Helm here. I know Urbosa must be turning in her grave right now."

I frown, she's been putting so much pressure on herself since she took charge. She's afraid people will still see her as a child and not as capable as others. Riju has a lot to learn, but that doesn’t mean she was too young to take charge.

"I know. Don't be too hard on yourself yeah? We'll get it back!" I say, lying the weapons on the ground and unwrapping them. 

She sits on her toes and her jaw drops, "Oh my goddesses (y/n)! These are gorgeous! Oh my–"

"I tried to model it after Urbosa's blade and shield but also added a little twist to fit your aesthetic. How do you like it?"

Riju picks up the golden hilt of the serrated blade and holds it firmly in both hands before swinging it wildly. The rubies and ambers twinkling in the glare of the torches. Her right hand, Buliara, cringes at the sight.

"I don't like it! I  **love** it!" Riju exclaimed, practically jumping out of her little shoes.

I laugh, being as close to her as I can as a blacksmith, I enjoy her energy. She is doing great for herself here and she doesn't need to be babied. I hope that the others will see that too.

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Oh right," she turns to Buliara, "Can you fetch some rupees for (y/n)? How much did you say it all was?" she asks, turning to me now.

I rub the nape of my neck sheepishly, "5,000."

"Oh excellent! You heard the lady." she giggles, looking back at Buliara.

"I'm so glad everything I make for you exceeds your expectations." I say, standing up.

She stands up as well, "I'm glad to commission you. Be on the lookout for my next request. And if you just so happen to want to put up a fight I'd be happy to throw you up to Vah Naboris!"

Vah  _ what?  _ That sounded like another Divine Beast. There are four of them right? And one is in Zora's Domain. So–

"Vah Naboris? The Divine Beast?"

Riju almost explodes from excitement, "Yes! That's what's making it so windy. Blowing sand all over the place."

"Oh." I say, not even making the connection. I mean I thought it was because this place was out in a desert and that's why sand was everywhere but, okay yeah that takes the cake.

"I-i may not be able to deal with it  _ myself  _ per se, but I do know someone who has it on their to-do list."

Buliara comes back with an intricate purple and satin gold drawstring bag and hands it to me. I put it in the satchel I had my other small items in.

Riju is quiet now, but the air is tense. Oh fuck, did I say something wrong? Does she know who I'm talking about? Oh jeez–

"Are you cold?" She asks, raising an eyebrow. She must be doing a callback to my stuttering. I've never stuttered before obviously and now  _ everyone  _ is picking up on it. Ugh.

"No I just, I don't know why I've been doing that lately."

"Oh well can you tell me more about this someone who can take back Vah Naboris?" She says, making her way back to her throne. Buliara takes the sword and shield away.

I walk closer to where she sits, "Uh well, it's a really funny but also stupid story. So I uh, got lost coming back from Goron City and I had stopped at a stable and asked this guy for help and so he helped me get back home and he's cute but annoying and he's been staying with me–"

Riju yawns, "Wake me up when the funny part comes."

I panic, "Oh shit sorry, anyways, His name is Link and he's on his way now to Zora's Domain to take back Vah Ruta. So I'm pretty sure Vah Naboris is on his list as well."

"Well that's definitely a story. Not funny or stupid but I mean yeah okay. Well if what you say is true I'd be happy to see him. That means he would also have to get the Thunder Helm back from the Yiga clan as well."

"He's fit for the job." I shrug, suddenly thinking about him in full force. The pinewood and courser bee honey smell often came in little waves when I was traveling. His cute ears and stupid nose and long blonde hair–

"(Y/n)!" Riju snaps.

"What, fuck! Sorry, I'm here." 

She smiles at me, "Alright  _ lover girl. _ Tell him I'm looking forward to his visit. Thank you again for your loyalty to Gerudo."

I bow to her again as a farewell, "And thank you for calling upon me for all your weapon and armor needs."

I wave at her and she and Buliara wave back. I make my way down the stairs and take in the scenery. Getting here when the sun was setting made this place look like a dreamscape. It was so softly lit and there was a buzzing of women around every corner. The gold details sparkled and the shops are much more diverse here too. I take a right down the stairs and smile at the lady behind the stand.

"Looking to buy?"

I nod, looking over the selection and painfully trying to remember what I had at home. Rock salt? Yeah plenty of that, I don't cook without it. Tabantha wheat I remember from the meat pie. I blush thinking about Link covered in flower like an absolute fucking child. Some Hylian rice is here too! Might as well splurge.

"Yeah! I'll take all the Tabantha wheat and Hylian rice you have!"

"Oh goodness! I'll have to send my husband out to restock. Thank you so much!"

I wave at her and move across the way to another counter with different kinds of arrows. I stare at them in awe, "Oh wow."

"Looking to buy?"

"Oh no thank you! I wouldn't even know how to handle the other kinds." I laugh, nervously. Sorry lady I just see shiny things and my brain just shuts off.

"You gotta learn girl. Lots of stuff lurking around."

I smile nervously, I only made it here by galloping past every noise I heard in the dark woods beyond the trail. 

I wander over to the stand with fresh meat and pick out raw gourmet meat and pay for that as well. I peek into the jewelry store, knowing full well if I walk inside I will go ballistic and spend every rupee I have. 

My final stop is by the inn, where I rent a room for 50 rupees and settle in for the night. I walk to my room and close the door, taking a deep breath and setting my things down by the door so I won't forget them in the morning. It has a small kitchen, bathroom, a bed, chairs, a table and a neat bookshelf. 

Alright well seems right to make a meal and go straight to bed  _ right _ ? 

Ugh how long has it been? Like a day and some change? I kind of miss Link. NOT like in a romantic way or something just the company. I never realized how lonely it is traveling by myself. I wonder if he feels like that too.

I throw some rice and meat into the pan, searching the small fridge for any sort of vegetables. To be fair I could have gotten some mushrooms from the other stand, I just figured I would have some on hand. At least the ones I didn't eat. There was a smidge of goat butter left and a full jar of milk. Hmmmm maybe I'll eat that in the morning with an apple. I don't know, sounds like a problem for the future.

I throw the goat butter in the pan and let it simmer, stirring it a good few times and turning it on low. I search my bag for a change of underwear, bra and a shirt to sleep in. Something blue catches my eye. I don't own anything blue? When I pull it out of my bag and hold it up–

It’s Link's tunic. 

It has a small piece of paper attached to it with some tape. I rip it off and open it.

_ Figured you'll miss me.  _

I want to throw this in the fucking pan as well. How dare he? How can you be asleep for 100 years and wake up with no memories but  _ still _ be the most egotistical bastard in Hyrule? Unfortunately I have to give him this one. I may not have him here with me physically but this was a nice gesture I guess.

I ball it up with the rest of my things, turn off the heat on my meal and go to take a quick shower.

I take my hair out of the three day old bun and let it fall over my shoulders. I go ahead and wash it too, so I'll feel a little fresher in the morning on my way back to civilization.

The shower is lukewarm, not my favorite  _ but _ beggars can't be choosers. I use the soap and washcloth provided to clean all the dirt and mud off of my legs. This is the worst time to be thinking about Link. Any time he's touched me in a flirty way, that part of my body is just on fire. It's ridiculous, he's just a fucking guy that I just so happen to run into at one of the many stables around here and–

Just so happened? Maybe it was on purpose? Oh don't do  _ this _ ! Just because your parents pass around that stupid story doesn't mean it's true. And who knows, maybe it was just by pure coincidence that they ended up falling for each other. There's just no fucking way it'd be the same for me. 

I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my body and wrap my hair in a separate towel. I walk out of the bathroom, put the hot meal on a plate provided by the lovely ladies here and sit on the bed, angrily chewing. 

I can't believe I would even think that. Fucking 'soulmates' and 'meant for each other'. Everyone knows I was  _ meant  _ for my anvil. Fuck that.

~

~

I fell asleep wrapped up in towels and the plate on the floor. Was I that exhausted or just mad at how hard my brain was overworking itself? I sigh and pick up the plate and place it in the sink, take off all the towels and hang them up on the shower rail. I unwrap Link's tunic to put on my bra and panties and stare longingly at the blue top. There are unfamiliar white markings on it and it has a few cuts and holes. I wonder if he had this on when he was asleep all those years? I end up putting it on and some khaki capri shorts, cleaning up my mess from last night and taking up all my things with me. I wave at the woman by the front desk and make my way out of the town, where the two women had Mabel rearing to go.

"Don't worry we gave her some hydromelon to keep her going through the journey." one said.

"I'm shocked you even made it here on a horse! Usually people come with a sand seal!" the other said.

I jump onto the proud horse and ruffle her mane a little, "Yeah, my girl can handle anything though."

"Come back soon okay?"

I wave at them as Mabel slowly trots ahead. Kakariko is next on the list, I sigh, dreading the long trip ahead of me. I kick Mabel's side to send her in high gear.

_ Might as well get this over with. _

~

Night falls quicker today. Sparks of magenta fly around and the clouds start to move fast. Oh fuck, oh no.

The blood moon.

Mabel is on her last leg at this point as I desperately try to scurry to a safe place for us to rest. Somewhere along a trail would be easy and mildly safe. I see a makeshift tent coming up ahead with a dim glow. Maybe someone was there or just left. Either way I call dibs. 

I slow down and approach the tent where a young girl is sitting on the ground.

"Hey what are you doing out here?"

She rubs her arms as if she were cold, "I-i don't know what to do. That moon is freaking me out."

I feel bad, maybe this is her first time traveling during the blood moon, or maybe even by herself. I've never been this fucking sappy or kind, but I feel like being kind and stepping out of my bubble would help me soften a bit..

"Hurry and get on. We can go take shelter together."

She smiles and picks up a little sack and jumps aboard. I pet Mabel a bit to assure her we will get some rest soon and lightly kick her side.

"Okay a nice bit of trees in a field would be ideal. Then we can have a bit of overhead shelter and get a good view of our surroundings."

The young girl lays her head on my back and wraps her arms around my waist.

"Thank you for doing this." She says, the vibration of her voice going through my back.

I smile to myself and tug on the reins to go a bit faster. Granted it doesn't last long, the moon, but it helps to just have some place to hide until dawn.

I look to the right and to the left before looking back to the right and using my entire body to shift Mabel that direction. I see a nice circle of trees and some fireflies dancing in a field. It looks calm enough and it is still in a pretty open field. If anything, I can spot a creature ahead of time and still move quick enough to stun a monster for us to escape.

I bring Mabel to a slow stop after inspecting further. The burnt grass and dimly lit cooking pot come into view. Someone must have been here a bit earlier. The girl jumps down before me and tiptoes around before I give her a thumbs up. I dismount as well, taking my bow and quiver of arrows in my hand. I set them by the tree and the girl sets up a small sleeping bag. I ruffle through my own bag on Mabel's side to give her an apple for her hard work and something quick to put together for a small dinner. 

"Have you eaten?" I ask, my back turned to her.

She yawns, "Um not really. I had a Voltfruit earlier but that's about it."

I pile some mushrooms, two raw bird drumsticks and Hyrule herbs in my arms and carefully walk them over to the cooking pot.

"You eat meat right?"

"Yes!"

"Okay cool. I'll get this going for you, yeah? And then you can rest."

"Aren't you gonna rest too?"

I shrug, "Maybe but lightly enough to stun anything to buy us time to move."

Her face shows concern before meeting me with a small smile. 

I use a stick lying next to the pot to give everything a good toss and look over at the girl who holds her knees to her chest.

"What are you doing out here by yourself anyway?"

"Well I was traveling with my parents before a monster got the best of them" she says, sniffling, "But I managed to get away before they focused on me. That was last night. And I've been alone since."

I want to hug her, comfort her or  _ something.  _ This poor girl. She doesn't look any older than fourteen. Dirt all over her legs and arms and a cut on her face where blood has already dried.

"You're the only person I've seen so far."

"I'm sorry you lost your parents like that."

She rubs her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffs, "What do I do now?"

I don't have the answer to that and I feel like shit that I don't. I reach into my bag and pull out a small metal bowl (easier to clean on the go) and put half of the food inside and hand it to her, "I'm not sure but we can figure it out together."

Her smile is bigger now as she takes the bowl from me, "Thank you, again."

~

~

My eyes shoot open at the sound of grass being stepped around on. I quickly nock an arrow in my bow and point it in the direction of the sound. The little girl peeks from behind a tree. I sigh and lower my weapon, "Goddesses you scared me."

"I didn't want to wake you."

"What are you doing?" I ask, finally registering what the actual fuck is happening.

"I needed to use the bathroom."

I nod and stand to stretch. I start picking up my quiver of arrows and put them in the pouch on Mabel's side. She is excited we are awake as she neighs and trots in place. 

"Mornin' to you too, girl."

The girl starts rolling up her sleeping bag and puts it into the sack she was carrying around and hands it to me. I tie some string on it and fix it to the side pouch I have on Mabel.

"Alright well, we can definitely get to a stable soon. And I'm sure someone can look after you there."

"But what about you?" she asks, her eyes watering a bit.

Oh fuck don't do this kid.

"I do a lot of traveling and I can't afford to have someone hurt while I do deliveries. It's not safe."

"Then where will I go?"

I look off into the distance, not even knowing the answer to that really. I mean, at least not a simple answer. Could I trust a stranger at the stable to take care of this girl? What if they sell her off or use her as bait? Goddammit I didn't want it to come to this but I have no choice. I know Impa will look after her if I ask her to. Granted she will complain like she usually does and then go right back whatever she does when I'm not there.

"Scratch that, you can come with me to Kakariko Village. A good friend of my aunt will look after you. Don't worry she's a sweet old lady until you get on her bad side but I don't see that being a problem."

She still looks at me with sad, puppy eyes. I can visit her anytime I make a delivery to Kakariko. I'm not leaving her forever! I bend down to her level.

"You will be safe okay? It's too dangerous to travel with me all the time."

She nods and gives me a hug, catching me way off guard, "Okay big sis."

I grin and return the hug. Yeah okay, that's more like it. I don't see myself being the motherly type.

I let go of her and stand up, "Alright ready to go?"

She jumps up and down and claps, "Ready!"

"Alright, let's get this show on the road."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shoutout to everyone who left kudos, bookmarked this fic and subscribed, y'all are gonna make me cry


	10. PreCal Five: Happy Birthday!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The king throws a surprise birthday party for Link. Link isn't too thrilled about the whole ordeal and Zelda was having a lot more fun than he was.

_ The sanctum was decorated with balloons and banners. Confetti littered the floor and the chatter of knights and scientists filled the air. Zelda was already drunk, mingling in conversations and punching Link in the arm any time she walked by him. _

_ "Thirteen...hic...more punches to goooo birthday boy." She slurred, giggling at Link's reaction. _

_ "That's fine, you hit like a girl anyway." _

_ "...hic...Shut up! ’m a girl." _

_ "I know. That's why I said that." _

_ She huffed and stormed off dramatically, laughing the whole way. Link looked down at his cup and sighed. 'Welcome to twenty-three' he thought. King Roham walked up behind him and slapped him on the back, jolting Link out of his thoughts. _

_ "Happy birthday young man. Feel older?" _

_ Link chuckled, "No not really. Just feels the same." _

_ "You'll get there. I'm just grateful to have you as one of my knights, you're the best there is." _

_ "Thanks, I appreciate it." _

_ The king gives him a light shove, "Okay go on. Have some fun, take a load off kid!" _

_ Link laughs and wanders off, doing his best to follow those orders. He didn't feel excited or anything, it's just his birthday. Who cares, this happens every year. _

_ "Link!" _

_ He turned to look in the direction of the voice and his blood started to boil. 'I can't fucking believe this', he thought, storming in said direction, 'he has the nerve to show up here today'. _

_ Revali smiled and waved, his champion tunic repurposed into a scarf as he sauntered in the room. _

_ "What the hell are you doing?" _

_ Revali scoffed, "You still mad at me?" _

_ "You have done so much disrespectful shit I'm astonished you even walked through those doors without melting." _

_ "Calm down dude it's your birthday. I figured we could just set our differences aside and have some fun. Zelda is running around drunk isn't she?" _

_ Link folded his arms, still holding his drink, "Yeah and Mipha is right behind her trying to clean up whatever mess she's making." _

_ Revali looks at Link's cup and slaps him on the back, "Come on Linky let's have a drink." _

_ Link sighed and walked alongside Revali. The feelings of anger he had about him only subsided a bit, since there was no harm in letting him celebrate with him. _

_ "Don't touch any of my guards, birdbrains." _

_ "Oh calm down, I'm off the market." _

_ Link raised his eyebrow as they came to a stop near the table of drinks and snacks, "Oh really?" _

_ "Yeah" he says, pouring spiked durian punch into his cup, "the women in Gerudo are out of this world dude. Surprised you don't have any women swarming you right now." _

_ Link does the same with his cup, "Everyone knows me here, they aren't starstruck or anything." _

_ "You sure it's not your shit temper?" Revali asked, elbowing him playfully. _

_ Link rolled his eyes and took a sip, glancing around the room. Everyone was dancing, chatting or eating and they seemed to really enjoy the downtime. For a brief moment, they forgot about the impending arrival of Ganon. _

_ "Doesn't matter. I don't need that kind of distraction anyway." _

_ "Dating is a distraction to you?" _

_ "Protecting the princess is a full time job." Link said, following the drunk princess with his eyes. She knocked over a vase and started laughing loudly, Mipha right behind her with a broom. _

_ "Goddesses no wonder you're so fucking angry." Revali scoffed, taking another sip of his drink. In the distance, Daruk walked through the door and waved at them both.  _

_ "I was wondering when he was gonna show." Link said, putting his cup on the table. He walked in the center to meet Daruk, who opened his arms for a hug. Link hesitated but hugged him back, even though it was slightly awkward considering how big Daruk was. _

_ "Happy birthday little guy!" He laughed. _

_ For some reason, maybe out of instinct, Link turned his head to see if Revali was still at the table. Shockingly, he was. _

_ "Thanks. You gonna stay a while?" _

_ "Of course, I wouldn't miss this for the world." _

_ Link smiled, he really liked Daruk. He had such genuine energy and he was everyone's favorite in Goron City. He was a man with a good heart and an even better fighter. _

_ "We're all supposed to be having dinner together. All of us." _

_ "Oh yeah then I'm game!" Daruk shouts, clearly overrun with excitement. _

_ "Hey! Daruk!" _

_ Both men whip around to see Zelda and Mipha coming towards them. Zelda is somehow more intoxicated than she was before and Mipha holds her upright in attempts to keep her from falling over her dress. _

_ "Princess Z! I see you've been enjoying yourself." He laughed. _

_ " 'm having SO much fun" she giggled, "been trying to find some...hic...cute girls to sleep with Linky." _

_ Link's face flustered immediately, "Zelds what the fuck?" _

_ "Duuuuude you need to get laiiiid." She said, dragging out the word. _

_ Link looked at Mipha in hopes that she would counter Zelda's statement. Instead she shook her head, "She's got a point. It is your birthday, you should be getting wild." _

_ Daruk chuckled, "I've never seen Link with a woman on his arm. I was starting to think he liked men." _

_ Zelda cackled loudly, wiping a tear from her eye, "Oh...hic...my goddesses, fuck that's classic." _

_ Revali at this point joined the circle, "What the hell are you guys talking about?" _

_ "Daruk thought Link was gay." Mipha said, stifling her own laugh. _

_ Revali starts laughing too, "Normally I'd agree but he is quite the hot topic in Rito." _

_ "Oooooooh" Daruk cooed, "Link my boy, you little player." _

_ Link laughed, waving his hands in the air, "Okay okay fucking hell you guys." _

_ "Reval...hic...I normally I don trust you with a damn thing but I believe you...hic...can find the right girl to finish Linky’s birthday." Zelda whispered, or at least tried to. She was really loud when she was drunk and nothing she did was subtle. _

_ Revali chuckled, "Yeah I can do that." _

_ "You guys don't need to do anything." Link argued. _

_ "I'm on board, maybe this is what he needs to calm down those anger issues of his." Daruk interjected. _

_ Mipha giggled, "It's four against one Link, just take the fucking deal." _

_ "This isn't a deal! This is...I don't even fucking know what this is." _

_ "Lin it's okay I...hic...promise!" Zelda said, holding out her pinky finger.  _

_ Link looked at her and joined in, both of their pinkies interlocked.  _

_ "Okay fine. You have my blessing." Link sighed.  _

_ Mipha and Zelda giggled, practically jumping up and down and Revali wasted no time. He beelined into the crowd before Link could say anything to him. 'This is stupid' Link thought, 'this is stupid but I'll be damned if they aren't having a good time'. _

_ 'Maybe I should try to have a good time too.' _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright this is also late LMAO, maybe I should change the upload schedule to Monday and Friday when I don't have to work. Idk its a thought


	11. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You buy some nice things for yourself in Kakariko and head back home. A certain someone comes back and takes you by surprise.

The wooden red blocks and glow of the lanterns come into view. The village is bustling even in the late afternoon. I leave Mabel tied to a tree near the entrance like I usually do and take the broadsword wrapped in fabric with me, along with my crossbody bag and little one in tow.

She looks around in amazement. I wonder where she's from originally if she's so amazed about the scenery here. Kakariko was pretty, but not like Hateno. And Hateno was  _ gorgeous. _

All the village folk wave at me and I gave a small wave back to everyone. Getting to the center field before the staircase of Impa's home, one of the guards stops me.

"(Y/n) it's unlike you to bring someone else along." he booms.

His voice startled the girl and she hid behind me slightly for protection.

"I know but she's harmless I promise. She's my little sister."

"I thought you were an only child."

"Adoption."

The guard sighs and moves his trident, "Alright go ahead."

I smile and ascend the staircase, my 'sister' following me closely.

I open the door slightly, "Impa~" I sing, "It's your favorite blacksmith."

I hear her smack her teeth before I open the door even wider.

"(Y/n)!"

"Hello!"

She squints a bit to get a better look at the little girl with me. I walk closer so she doesn't have to strain herself.

"And who might this be?"

"My name is Cas and big sis helped me when it was a blood moon."

"She lost her parents while they were traveling and happened to survive. I can't take her with me due to the amount of traveling I do."

Impa narrows her eyes at me and motions for Cas to come forward.

"How old are you?" 

"Twelve."

Hey I was close. Two years off.

"Okay well, you can stay here with me then. Simply because you are too young to work around the village without getting hurt."

I let out a sigh of relief, oh thank goddesses.

"You" Impa says, her voice reverberating through the room as she points her cane in my direction, "Show me what you have."

Cas smiles at me before going to stand near Impa. I set the broadsword on the ground and unwrap it slowly, trying to build anticipation but I can sense Impa didn't want anymore of my tomfoolery today. The hilt was a metallic red with silver etchings and the blade was long, a bit wide and gleamed in the light. She actually  _ smiled  _ at me, "This is excellent handiwork (y/n). I shouldn't be surprised after all you are Leo's daughter alright."

"Thank you, I try to keep the aesthetic of the village within the blade so it doesn't look crude."

Impa nods, "Great job. How much do I owe you for this?"

"2,000 rupees."

She looks over at her granddaughter who brings a small cloth bag of rupees to give me and bows. I return the favor and bow at Impa as well.

"Take Cas up to the washroom. There's no telling how long she's been out in the wilderness." Impa orders, the girl rounded up Cas, who waves to me, and walked her upstairs.

I look back at Impa, "Let me know if you need me again."

"Will do. Don't worry."

I exit the home and walk down the staircase reveling in all the sunshine and chatter. Oh I couldn't wait to get back home! And it's only a half a day horseback ride. I stand in the middle of the town, trying to figure out which direction I was gonna go in first. I have a lot of rupees, I did a good job on my orders and I haven't killed anyone. I deserve a little reward.

I decide to head to the general store first and buy some goat butter and carrots. I bring the items to the counter and greet the woman in charge.

"No eggs today?" she asks.

"No I have plenty at home. Plus I don't think they'd survive the trip back." I laugh.

She smiles, "Your total is 146."

I fork over the rupees and put the items in my bag, waving to her as I leave the shop. I'll give Mabel a carrot before we head home, that can be her reward. I try to buy some every time I come here but sometimes I'm too tired to even  _ think _ about walking over here. Last stop was the clothing store.

It's about fucking time I bought some more clothes that weren't ripped up, had holes burnt into them or too small. Gerudo Town doesn't have a lot of options either so here and Hateno were my best bet.

I walk in the door slowly, setting off the bell above my head. The man straightening the clothes on the mannequins turns to me and grins, "Welcome to Thom's Tailoring. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh not yet really, I just want to have a look around." 

"Be my guest dear."

Even though the shop wasn't big space wise, it did have a few more items than expected. There was a yellow strapless dress on one of the mannequins that came down a bit above the knee. The lace trim and corset in the very front of the bust made it look perfect for warmer weather. There was a red shirt with white stripes, similar to the wooden blocks at the entrance of the village. Long black pants with a sharp pleat in the front, business wear I would assume. A white flowy blouse with loose sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. A long traditional Kakariko Village dress, fully red, silver straps, thigh high slit on the side and a silver trim.

I ended up settling for the yellow dress, the red shirt, and the white blouse, simply because I didn't really own anything, you know,  _ girly. _

I approach the counter and Thom scurries over.

"Oooo nice selection" he coos, "the yellow dress is really popular with travelers."

"Yeah?"

He laughs, "It's a happy color. Everyone is looking for happiness in such unsure times."

Did he mean Calamity Ganon? After all these years there are still people living in fear? Understandable, although I never thought twice about it until Link came around. Is Ganon the reason monsters are everywhere, lurking in the darkness?

I laugh nervously, "Yeah."

He wraps up the clothes in sparkly paper that reminded me of luminous stones and waved goodbye as I went to the door. I will definitely get a shower first before trying everything on.

I make my way up the hill to Mabel, who stomped her hoofs in excitement after seeing me. I pull out a carrot and wave it in front of her, "Hi pretty girl" I say, "Ready to get going?"

She happily munched on the carrot as I set my clothes in my little pouch on her side and got on top of her. She scarfed the carrot down like her life depended on it. Making sure she was finished chewing and had a few minutes to settle down, I grab her reins and gave her a light kick to the side.

Time to head home.

~

~

Didn't realize how long I had spent in Kakariko until I got home and the sun was close to setting completely. I got off the horse and guide her to her stable, where I gave her some pets, changed her water and food. 

"Good work out there girl." I say, before grabbing my things and unlocking the door to my house.

Maybe I should have left it unlocked for Link. I spent the whole damn ride here not thinking about him but if I don't fucking walk in and immediately wish he was here with me. His scent was still here, faintly. Probably because I was still wearing his shirt. I shrug and take my clothes into the room, putting them on the bed so I don't forget to try them on after I'm done putting things away.

I brought the butter and carrots into the kitchen, gingerly put them into the fridge and look around the kitchen. Oh jeez, the feeling is even stronger now. I end up just going to take a shower and starting from there with clothing. 

When I showered in Gerudo I let my hair dry on its own and put it up later in the day when I had encountered Cas. I'll give it a good brush, really get into some upper body exercise. Bring up my confidence and blend in to my new girly clothes.

After getting out, let my hair down and dry myself off before putting on a new pair of bra and panties. Fuck that's what I forgot, getting bras and shit from Gerudo.  _ They _ know how to design a cute bra. 

I open the door to the bathroom and lean against the doorway, gazing at the items on my bed. Which one should I try first? The shirt maybe? Not the red and white one, nah that's definitely a pajama shirt. I pick up the white one and throw it over my head, easing my arms into the sleeves and letting it flow over my torso freely. It felt nice, light and breezy.

I turn to the mirror next to the bed and try to get a good look at it from some other angles. It's cute, but I don't know what to wear with it. I take it off, throw it on the floor next to my wardrobe and move to the next piece; the yellow dress.

I slip into it carefully trying not to rip it and tighten the corset around my breasts. I look into the mirror, do a little spin and straighten it out. I won't lie, it did compliment my (s/c) well and made me look a little bit more awake. I play with my hair again and look at myself, twisting from side to side.

Okay yeah, I dig it.

The loudest thump made me jump out of my skin, pulling me away from my small fashion show. I didn't move for a second, before quietly bending down on my knees, crawling to the side of the bed and pulling a knife from in between the mattress and box spring.

The blade pointed behind me, I peer over the bed. Another noise, like a shuffle. Then a low groan. I've never had something like this happen to me, let alone in the entire village. It's usually quite safe. The adrenaline rushes through me as I started to move away slowly, creeping to the doorway. 

A low pant, laboured breathing.

What the fuck is that.  _ What the fuck is that? _

I jump up and hold the knife in front of me, "Who the hell are you and also get the FUCK OUT!"

"Calm...down.."

I lower my knife and my jaw drops. Link was on the ground, barely holding himself up. His clothes were burnt and almost in pieces. His hair had dirt and ash in it and he had a cut on his face with dried blood over it. 

Oh my goddesses.  _ Oh my goddesses. _

I rush over to him, putting the knife on the console table, almost falling over my damn self and try to prop him up against the couch. Why the fuck was he so heavy? I blush, thinking about him shirtless and uh,  _ not fucking dying in my floor. _

"Link! Hey what the fuck dude, what happened?"

He smiles meekly and caresses my cheek, "You're here."

"I fucking live here and you scared me!"

"I'm sorry."

I look at him up and down, just to make sure he wasn't critically injured, "What the fuck  _ happened? _ "

"I told you I was going to take Vah–"

"I get that but dude", I say, briefly leaving his side to grab some first aid supplies, "How difficult could that be?"

He scoffs, "Way more difficult than you think. Trust me honey."

I blush, "Don't call me that."

"Why?"

I don't have to answer that, or  _ him _ , right at this moment. I take some rubbing alcohol and dab it on a clean cloth. I lean over him to clean his face up a bit, easing my mind a bit when the cut wasn't terribly deep. Then we'd have to see a damn doctor. Granted leaning over him wasn't the  _ best  _ idea at the moment, I just want to help him. I want to be  _ patient.  _

Unfortunately, since he is a big ass fucking child, he wiggles around the entire time, "Ouch okay that stings!"

I shush him and continue on, moving slower and slower as I take in his features now that I'm this  _ close. _ His freckles were barely there, he had a sharp and defined nose, upturned cyan eyes, sharp lips—

"(Y/n)?"

I pull back, "What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm just uh, concerned."

"I'm fine."

I fold the rag in my hands doing my best to avoid looking at him. Fuck, my face, no, my entire  _ body  _ was on fire. I can't do this, I can't focus on patching him up when he's just so  _ hot. _

He pulls me back to my original position and holds me by my chin.

" _ I'm fine. _ " He says again.

Before I could even  _ breathe _ he presses his lips to mine. Rolling his tongue around mine, biting my bottom lip ever so slightly before pulling back a bit, our lips barely touching as we breathed in each other's air. Honey, pinewood and the faint smell of blood overwhelmed me. His grip on my chin loosened as he took my arm to pull me into him completely, kissing me harder this time around. I was wrapped up in him, everything about him. His looks, his attitude, his humor,  _ his bravery. _

Being able to taste a bit of blood in his mouth was not sexy however, as I pull away gradually. He didn't let my arm go, stubborn fuck.

"Where are you going?"

I wipe my mouth, trying to get the copper taste out, "I'm going to see if I have any spare elixirs."

"Elixirs? Did  _ you  _ put them in my Sheikah Slate?"

"Yeah I figured you would need them."

"I used them all."

I laugh, "I'll just make more then."

He smiles, just as big as he did in the picture with him, Zelda and Aunt Purah, "I appreciate it."

He let go of my arm and I scavenge my cabinets for at least one healing elixir. I know I have at least one, but where the fuck was it? I ran into my workshop and open one of my tool drawers. There it was, dark pink, full bottle, ready to go.

I pick it up and sit down on the ground beside Link.

"Alright here. I think this should patch you up a bit. Can you walk?"

"I can now yeah. After taking a ten minute break."

"Are you sure?"

He stands up, cracking his neck and looks down at me, "I'm sure."

I stand as well and hold the bottle out to him. He took it from me, drank all of it and hands the empty container back to me. He gave me a quick glance, "When did you get that?"

"Get what?"

"The dress."

"Oh", I mutter, "I went ahead and bought it over in Kakariko Village. Figured I could buy myself something nice."

He walks closer to me, "It looks good."

"Thanks."

After that he stares at me for what felt like a long time and starts moving in the direction of the bedroom.

"I'm gonna shower yeah?"

"Yeah that's cool, are you hungry?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I got it."

He smiles at me before completely disappearing from my view. I walk into the kitchen and place the bottle in the sink so I can clean it later. Now I can fucking process what just happened.

He kissed me, he got bold enough to  _ kiss  _ me. I liked it, that I can't deny, but these feelings just intensified. Do I like him? Romantically? My brain starts short circuiting the more I thought about it. Okay time to do something else other than mull over every single thought I've ever had.

I open the fridge; I have carrots, goat butter, milk. I'm pretty sure I had some tabantha wheat around here so I can make carrot stew. It seems fitting enough, it's warm  _ and _ filling.

I grab a pot and set it over a burner, got out my cutting board and cut away at a few carrots. It's gotta have more carrots than anything, I mean, fuck it's in the name. My first four didn't feel like enough so I grab two more. I turn on the heat and put the goat butter in, waiting for it to melt before I slap the carrots in there.

I lean against the fridge and drown in my thoughts again as I twiddle my fingers. I’m being patient because I want to develop a relationship right? But I never specified  _ what  _ kind I wanted to develop. I have no problem with it being romantic. He's just  _ different  _ you know? This whole situation is different.

With his impeccable timing, Link walks into the kitchen, fresh pair of pants, loose white shirt, hair moderately dry and fresh faced.

"What'd you come up with?"

"Carrot stew."

He nods and walks into the living room. I check the pot to make sure the butter is completely melted and not burnt so I can put the carrots in. I lightly salt everything and stir it every now and again to make sure they never got stuck to the bottom of the pan. 

Finally, after what felt like six years of stirring, they reached a nice color. I pour in the milk and whisk in the wheat until it is relatively smooth. I had to come back and stir it again after I gave it time to thicken so I place the lid on it and let it go.

I wash my hands in the sink, dry them off on my ratty little towel and join Link on the couch. He was on the slate, reading and checking off things. I guess I can sit closer to him. I mean for fucks sake we did kiss. We also sleep in the same bed. Why was I overthinking  _ this _ ? 

"What are you doing now?"

"Eh just checking things off my list so I can write up a report to Purah."

"She gave you homework?"

He laughs, "Yeah."

The silence fell quicker than I thought it would. I was making it awkward. Don't make this awkward.

"What was it like?" I ask.

"What was what like?"

"Vah Ruta. What was it like when you had to take back control? What was Zora's Domain like?"

"It was easy at first and everything started feeling familiar, like I had been inside one with Zelda before. I knew what to do immediately and tried to get it done as quickly as possible but you got the whole monster thing and I had to fight one of Ganon's subordinates in order to do the final step", he says, putting the slate to sleep and setting it beside him, "Zora's Domain is beautiful. Intricate designs, everything is polished luminous stone and there's maybe a half inch of water throughout the community. The Zora are water dwelling people after all."

"Oh my goddesses luminous stones? They'd have to mine a shit ton of them."

"I can't say it wasn't worth it. The views of the cliffs are lovely as well. Like the light from the stones just reflects onto everything."

"I'd wanna see that for myself one day." 

Link smiles and holds my hand, "Yeah we can."

We? Oh for fucks sake, that one word sent my mind reeling all over again. It's so bold, yet I like it. Thanks for interjecting yourself into all my plans Link, it's very cool and very epic of you. I get up and shuffle to the kitchen to check on the stew. The smell overwhelming me as I got closer and I took off the lid to stir it. At least a few more minutes on low and then it will be ready. Goddesses I'm good at this. Cooking and blacksmithing are my  _ only _ two redeemable qualities.

Link comes around the corner, "How's it goin’?"

"It should be ready in about five minutes. Just kind of letting everything simmer."

He nods and comes closer, wrapping his hands around my waist, "Thank you for earlier. It's been a long time having someone do that for me."

I blush, not even attempting to hide it, nothing I do matters at this point.

"Yeah no problem. I mean the alternative would have been to just stab you."

He laughs, "Wanted to ask where you got a knife so quickly but, you  _ are  _ a blacksmith."

I laugh as well, and then we both were laughing loudly like idiots. It was nice to have someone to laugh with, even if it was about me almost killing an intruder. He put his forehead against mine as we stood in the middle of the kitchen, my heart just ready to hop out of my chest. What the fuck got into him? Was it him almost dying again or something?

"If you get hurt badly, do you go back to the shrine?"

"I'm not sure. I mean I guess it would make sense."

"Well that means you just need to be careful or something."

He chuckles, "Maybe you're right."

~

~

I bought this dress earlier today and there's dirt on it from taking care of Link. I guess I'll have to wash it and put it away for a different day, it's not like I would just be wearing dresses all the time. It's not very practical.

I slip out of it and put on the red and white shirt and some blue shorts I had found the other day. I haven't seen them in years and I'm shocked they still fit. I put my hair in a tight ponytail and turn my head as soon as Link steps out of the bathroom.

"I can hear your footsteps."

"Only cause I want you to."

I roll my eyes, "Well don't wait up. I'm gonna work on that sword I wanted to give you."

"You don't have to."

I stand up and stretch, "I  _ want  _ to."

He shrugs and lies down, closing his eyes, "I'll wait up for you anyway."

"Fine I won't stop you."

I smile just looking at him, he's fucking ridiculous but I can't help but be attracted to him. Everything _he's_ done so far has been flirting but these last few instances made me think, what was his deal? I was pretty sure he’d fuck off after staying for one night but he’s still lingering around. Was that a good thing? I'm sure this would constitute another visit to my aunt to squeeze out more information but I'd wait until Link decided he was fit enough to take on another divine beast.

I open the front door and slide into my workshop. Letting out a deep breath, I go to my table and pull out a pencil and scrap piece of paper. I often did a quick sketch of the design for the hilt because it's easier to have something to follow when I get lost in making it, that way I don't lose sight of the design.

Alright so I'm going to have a nice leather grip, don't want the pommel to be gaudy so I may just melt it down to a point maybe. That seems kinda dangerous but I like the thought of it. Simple guard, little detail, maybe I can burn in the sheikah eye onto the handle? Thoughtful idea, no clue on how to execute that though.

I get up from the table and start rummaging for materials. I know I have some spare parts for the pommel and guard but I can't find leather for some fucking reason. I  _ know _ I have some, I had it the other day. UGH. I’m only frustrating myself the longer I look for it, and even then, the more I look the more pissed I am at myself for not being organized.

What the fuck am I gonna do? I want to scream, this means I have to fucking hunt down leather. That was the hardest thing to find in Hyrule. Not a lot of people are leather workers and the one that I trust is in Akkala. I stand up and huff, shutting the door, locking it and stomp to my room. How the fuck do you lose  _ leather _ ? I was so caught up in my own head I completely forgot about the blonde man in my bed. He stirred a bit when I came in. I turn off the light and crawl into bed next to him.

My anger subsided when he wraps me in his arms. His breathing slow and the smell of honey filling my senses. I could be here forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u to everyone who has been reading, leaving kudos and comments :') i love u


	12. PreCal Six: The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda plans a romantic dinner between Mipha and herself. Link has his own thing going on, and its not about the four dresses Zelda tried on that looked exactly the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bruh for some wild reason this just didn't read right but here it is

_ Zelda spun around in a bright yellow dress with off the shoulder sleeves and diamonds around the neckline. _

_ "What do you think?" She asked. _

_ Link sat cross-legged on her bed resting his head on his hands, "I think it looks fine." _

_ She sighed, "That's what you've said to the other ones." _

_ "Yeah because you've tried on four at this point and they all look the same. Why are you so worked up about this? You don't need to dress all fancy for Mipha." _

_ She smiled at herself in the mirror, and turned a bit to the right, "Yeah but it's like our actual first proper date." _

_ "You're just going to a bar or some shit." _

_ She narrowed her eyes at him, "Actually they're putting something together in the dining hall." _

_ "Oh yeah?" Link asked, in a mocking tone. _

_ Zelda had been planning this for a month and nothing could ruin this for her. Not even Link and his mildly terrible attitude. She never got to have a nice date with Revali because he always wanted to go to bars even when she mentioned she can just ask the dining hall staff to create a menu and atmosphere for something romantic and sweet. He never wanted to do anything romantic unless it was sex and **that** wasn't even romantic. _

_ "Yes," she said, sitting at her vanity, "It's not like Revali wanted to do something like this." _

_ He mulled over the sentence a bit before shaking his head. He hated admitting she was right because she took it to heart way too far. She thrived off of being right even when she's clearly wrong. Unfortunately she also knew when to pick her battles. _

_ "Okay yeah, I'll give you that one." _

_ She stuck her tongue out at him from the mirror.  _

_ "So then what are you guys gonna eat?" _

_ Zelda brushed her hair and wiggled in her seat with anticipation, "I told them to do a main course of salmon meuniere and some little nibbles of Hyrule bass, let them get creative on it", she said, parting her hair and beginning to braid one side, "I also had them pick out the best wildberry wine we have in our cellar and a dessert will be egg pudding." _

_ "You've got it all figured out." _

_ "Sure do." She said, matter of factly. _

_ It was silent between the two for a minute and a half. Zelda was beaming with excitement and Link was doing a bit of self reflecting.  _

_ That night on his birthday he ended up in a bedroom with one of the guests from his party that just so happened to be eyeing him from across the room. Revali noticed this beforehand and gave her some incentive to say hello. She did and with some drinks in his system and no critical thinking skills, Link charmed her enough to where she was excited and he was ready to open the legs of his birthday gift.  _

_ Even then, afterwards it was just like any other one night stand he had. It was just sex and it always was. Not that he minded per say, but it would be nice to have what Mipha and Zelda had. A sense of security, friendship and trust, combined with genuine adoration and love.  _

_ He had never felt self-conscious about his anger before but after his party, he kept thinking about how to level himself out and still keep his head in the game. He was a high ranking knight who oversaw the Royal Guard along with Zelda and he had been established as the chosen one. The idea of a relationship bounced around his head ever so often. It wouldn't hurt to switch it up a bit, right? _

_ "Hey do you really think I'm too angry?" He asked. _

_ Zelda stopped midway through her second braid, "What?" _

_ "Revali was saying no woman would date me because of my temper. Even then dating kind of feels like a distraction from my job, you know?" _

_ "Linky, don't let him get to you. You're still every woman's wet dream in Hyrule regardless of your temper tantrums." _

_ "Yeah but" he started, flinging himself backwards on the bed, "I don't know, I just keep thinking about it." _

_ Zelda frowned, she could punch Revali for that. There's nothing wrong with Link, he's just hotheaded, overprotective and he takes his job seriously. He was also sweet, caring, charming and smart as hell. He could have any woman really, but none of them fit the standards he had already set unknowingly. _

_ "Link, you're a great guy, a good friend and an excellent knight. Don't worry about what Revali says about you. I know you and I know that you're just trying to understand what you feel." _

_ Link sighed before Zelda spoke again, "You don't have to rush or actively seek anyone out. They'll come to you when the time is right, and you’ll know it." _

_ "I fucking hope so." _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Sunday gets a main story upload in ADDITION to a two part spinoff just in time for the holiday that isn't really a thing  
> of course leave kudos if you genuinely like this dumpster fire, and thank you for sticking with me 🥺❤


	13. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up in the bedroom and by bedroom I mean workshop, cause you know, you're a blacksmith. You wake up to clean and take inventory of all the things you have and Link decides to cook again. What would you do if you lost him to Ganon's malice?

The sun was ok.

It managed to peer through my curtains and shine in my direction, yet it was blocked. Link had his back turned towards the window as I was buried in his chest. It created a halo behind him, I could see the bit of highlights in his hair and he looked so  _ gorgeous _ . Okay well minus the snoring he was doing but it was  _ such  _ a sight to wake up to. I  _ could _ move but then again, I just want to stay here. 

What if he leaves and doesn't come back? What if he has to go back to the shrine for 100 years? What would I do then? What I used to do? There's no way! Within a week he has interjected himself in my life and my routine and I don't want him to leave.

_ I don't want him to leave. _

Does he know that? Not a fucking chance. Would it do any harm to tell him? Probably not but I still want to give myself time to figure these feelings out. And work on my temper I guess.

"How long are you gonna stare at me?"

I jumped out of his grasp, not expecting him to be awake let alone  _ say  _ anything.

"Fuck! Link you almost scared me to death."

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." He winks.

My body decided that was the go word and lust overflowed my senses. Why did he do that? We were doing so  _ good. _ And now I'm back to being a horny mess that I have been before. 

"Hey”, Link starts, as he leans up off the bed, "you okay?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. Just don't scare me like that. Next time I'll cut you."

"Yeah, cut me next time." 

Before I could sneak in a word he leaned over and kissed me, sending sparks over my entire body and my blood going south. I can't think straight as I lean into him. My hands move from my sides and onto his face, committing the feeling of his jawline and faint stubble of facial hair to memory.

His hands reached my hips and pulled me closer, his hands slid up and down my side slowly, sending me into a frenzy. I was going to come undone. He would unlock a whole new version of me that he would probably have trouble taming. I don't know his intentions, I don't know what he wants and I don't know what he feels.

I break away slowly, "Link–"

My breath was knocked away as he held me down on the bed. I didn't even fucking see him move. His hand was intertwined with mine above my head and his body hovered over me. Great view, 10/10 but the air was intense. I stare up at him, even looking in his eyes I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Is it from being a knight for so long that he can mask his emotions? I don't know, and it's kind of fucking killing me.

Neither of us said anything since we've been like this. My heart was racing and Link was breathing heavily, both of us frozen in place without any clear idea of what we wanted next. He grips my hand tighter, "(Y/n) what's gotten into you?"

_ 'If we don't waste anymore time, it could be you'  _ my brain shouted at me. I couldn't say it, hell I couldn't even move. I was paralyzed. I didn't even know what to say if I could open my mouth. But thank god I didn't have to. Link leaned down to give me a quick kiss on the lips before getting off of me and out of the bed completely.

"What do you feel like for breakfast?" He asks, stretching in the doorway.

I stare up at the ceiling, what the fuck is with us kissing now? I actually sort of instigated by leaning into him, I wanted to be on top of him. I wanted to kiss more of him, his neck, his chest–

I put my hands on my cheeks, hotter than concrete in the summer, "Um I don't know. Just whatever you want."

I hear him chuckle before moving to the next room. I sit up quickly and try to calm down. What was that?  _ What the fuck was that?  _ I almost trip over the threshold trying to get to the kitchen.

"Link!"

He turns around, "What?"

I walk up to him, _ aaaaand  _ immediately lose my train of thought. He was in the middle of cutting up mushrooms and radishes when I had yelled his name, but my eyes ended up looking down at his hands while he held the kitchen knife. Why were his hands so big? Why were they slightly more tanned than his face? His hands also had a little bit of freckles. I'm getting light-headed just thinking about him fucking me.

"N-nothing nevermind."

"You cold again?"

"No I'm just, I uh, I almost fell."

He looks me up and down before going back to cutting vegetables. I speed walk into my workshop and sit down at my anvil, tapping my fingers anxiously. Oh Hylia what am I going to do? I feel like I have to have sex with him before he leaves again. Because what if he doesn't come back? What if he gets too hurt he can't come back here? I feel like my entire body is going implode. What if I make a mistake? What if I push him away?

My chest is tight, I can't breathe, I can't fucking breathe. I'm dying. I'm in my workshop wheezing and holding my chest. Why can't I  _ breathe _ ? Am I really dying right  _ now _ ?

"(Y/n)! (Y/n) calm down I'm right here."

Link wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his head on my shoulder.

"I'm here honey. Just breathe."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Inhaling his scent and the vegetables frying in the kitchen. Feeling his arms around me and his heartbeat in my back. 

"You leave for what, a half a minute and you have a panic attack on me?"

"A  _ what _ ?"

"A panic attack. Something made you panic and you forgot how to function like a human being."

I roll my eyes and move his hands away, "I'm fine now, thanks."

I move away from him and start towards my cubbies. Link takes my hand, "Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure, come on I have stuff to do."

He walks up to me and kisses my forehead, "Alright fine."

I'm taken aback by the action. It just felt tender and way more affectionate than usual. I mean fuck, since he came back he's really been stepping it up in terms of physical contact. I blush, and continue to the cubbies. Now that it's daylight outside I can probably see better. I start moving things and taking some stuff out. This is a good time to get this organized! I throw out all the old sketches and sort the scrap metal. I take note of what materials I have so I can make a list of things I need. It's not a long list but leather is definitely the first priority. Along with smaller ores like iron, bronze, some extra coal, a few rubies and other gems. Just for aesthetic purposes of course.  _ And  _ usually if someone wanted to resell something I made, it would go at a high price since all of my weapons and armor are made with the highest quality materials I can find, also no one can replicate it haha.

I stand up, taking in the view of the slightly clean space and turn towards the doorway. 

I don't understand how I had a panic attack. I've never had one in all my life, so why did it come now? How do you even make yourself panic like that? Aunt Purah might know the answers, since I was a bit more comfortable telling her the situation going on in my house. That would have to wait though, I thought to myself, gazing at Link in the kitchen. You could only see his side profile and his hair was back in his signature ponytail. I hold the list close to my chest. Was it because I was thinking of him that gave me a panic attack?

I guess that makes sense, I've been getting kind of paranoid about losing him ever since he came in last night. I set the paper down on the living room table and go into the kitchen.

"Hey do you wanna go outside and eat?"

Link looks at me, visibly puzzled, " _ What? _ "

"You heard me dammit."

"It's almost hard to believe not even fifteen minutes ago you were having a panic attack."

"Stop avoiding the question."

"I'm not."

"Link!"

He laughs, "Okay okay, yeah we can do that. Get some sun."

"Okay, fuck it's so hard getting an answer out of you."

I turn around and grab a blanket from the couch and take it outside, looking around for a nice place to sit that was also still close by. Next to the house was a nice little area with a balance of shade and sun. I walk over and spread the blanket on the grass, straightening it out before standing up to look at it.

"What made you think of this?"

I turn around and smile at Link, who stood behind me with two plates. His idea was roasted mushrooms and radishes with salt and spicy pepper bird thigh. It did look good, I had to give him that one. But I also enjoy seeing him in the kitchen.

"I don't know I just figured we could sit outside and eat dude, don't make it weird."

"I'm not making it weird."

I take one of the plates from him and sit on the blanket. There are two kids playing out in the field, a woman hanging up laundry on the left and far up the dirt road I could see some people on horseback.

"It was okay that I kissed you right?" Link asks, moving the vegetables around on his plate.

"Why do you bother asking now?" I laugh, taking a bite. Fuck that was good. I need that recipe too, although it did look quite simple. I'll ask later just in case.

"I don't know I was just thinking about it. Like if it gave you a panic attack."

"It didn't last night."

"I wanted to ask."

"Okay you asked."

He starts eating but stares off, probably thinking about something else. I wouldn't be able to place it. Maybe he's thinking about the next divine beast to go to, or maybe Zelda. I bet he's really worried, Purah said they had a really close relationship. Like siblings.  _ Or  _ he was thinking about me. I mean I'm right fucking here but he did show genuine concern about what caused my panic attack and he did come to comfort me. That was sweet, also unexpected. Both events were.

"Did you want to?"

He turns to look at me, "Want to what?"

Oh fuck that was a stupid question. 

"Nevermind, but you have to give me the recipe for this later."

He laughs, "Yeah I can do that."

~

~

~

"I think I'm gonna head out tomorrow. I need to stock up on some more materials."

Link looks up from the slate, "You're leaving?"

"For a bit."

I gather some clothes and put them into a basket, throwing out some balled up sketches and fixing my bookshelves.

"I'll go with you."

"You don't need to."

"But I  _ want  _ to."

I roll my eyes, "Okay okay fine. But we leave in the morning. I'll get up and pack some stuff for us."

"Don't worry about it, I'll just put it all on the slate."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, then you don't have to carry a bunch of stuff around."

I nod and climb into bed next to him, "Fine with me."

He put the slate on top of some of his clothes and turns off the bedside lamp, "(Y/n)?"

I peek at him, "What?"

"I enjoy spending time with you."

"You're in my house  _ and _ you sleep in my bed."

He laid his head next to mine and pulls me closer to him, "Yeah but I'm glad I get to. You haven't killed me yet."

"Yeah yeah."

"Hey, look at me." He says, his tone hardening. 

Oh my goddess, what happens if I turn around? Why did he sound like that? A wave of chills came over me as I flip over to face him. Even if he had that dark look in his eye I wouldn't be able to tell right now. 

He lifts my chin up to him and kisses me. Hard. The breath is almost knocked out of my lungs in effort to keep up with him but it just keeps getting heavier and more intense. Like he was sending a message. My arms wrap around his neck on their own. He presses his body against mine, his hands grabbing my waist tightly. He pull away and stares into my eyes, feelings behind them that I couldn't decipher. He brings me close to his chest and yawns, "Goodnight (y/n)."

"Yeah, night Link."


	14. Forged Valentine's Special (Link Edition)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright so this bad boy is split into two parts. one is from our boy's point of view and the second is from the reader.

**I wake** **up at dawn and look over at (y/n), sound asleep next to me. I slide my arm from under her, trying not to wake her up and quietly put on a shirt and some pants. I couldn't help but to gaze at her sleeping figure. She had no idea how much I adored her. How much I** **_love_ ** **her. I’m not really sure what she had under her sleeve today or if she even knew what day it was. But I already had a plan. I take the slate from the nightstand and tiptoe out of the room.**

**I take out a thick feathered coat from Rito Village from the slate and slip it on, along with some boots and fixed my hair into a loose ponytail. This is the first time I've done something like this for someone instead of going to the Venus Festival in Rito and getting absolutely hammered. I want to make this great for both of us.**

**~**

**I make the trip into town in record time, arriving just before the sun rose completely. I bring Mabel to the small stable where a young girl was cleaning up a bit.**

**“Morning captain.” She smiles, the red from her cheeks reaching her ears.**

**"Good morning. Mind keeping her company for a bit?" I ask, holding the reins out to her. She nods, "Oh! Happy Venus Day! Do you have anyone special to share it with?"**

**"I do."**

**Her smile fades a bit, "Oh that's good! I'll keep a close eye on this girl." she reassures me, lightly patting the horse's head. I wave goodbye and go up the stairs leading to the castle. I walk around the observation room and pop in the guards' chambers to say hello to my fellow knights before walking through the sanctum to get to Zelda's room.**

**I rap on the door lightly before swinging it open. She turns from the mirror and stares at me. Wide-eyed at first but then immediately showing annoyance.**

**"Link what the hell, it's not even 10am."**

**"I know, I know", I say, walking towards her, "But this is an emergency."**

**Zelda turns back to the mirror and continues to brush her hair. She cut it into a pixie cut a few months back and it has grown a bit, it actually suited her face.**

**"What could possibly be an emergency on** **_Venus Day_ ** **?"**

**Silence filled the room for at least fifteen seconds before Zelda whips her head towards me, the question finally registering in her head, "(Y/n)!"**

**I nod happily, "I want to get her something and I need ideas. I also kind of want to change up my look."**

**I playfully shove her out of the vanity mirror and she pushes me away, "Well what does she like?"**

**I snap my fingers, "Being mean to me."**

**"That's an odd kink."**

**I scoff, "Okay not like that. Damnit, uh…"**

**"What about a necklace? You can't go wrong with jewelry here."**

**"I've never seen her wear any jewelry."**

**Zelda shrugs, "Maybe she doesn't own any."**

**"Okay I'll try that. But what about changing my look?"**

**Zelda hums to herself as she looks at me, I assume assessing the damage, "Have you tried being quiet?"**

**"That sounds 100% like something (y/n) would say."**

**She giggles, stands from her stool and pushes me down onto it.**

**"Okay I'll braid your hair. I haven't seen you with your hair braided in a while."**

**I smile nervously, "Okay. Do you think it will look okay with my uniform?"**

**"Very odd that you want to wear your uniform."**

**"I don't know! I just want to look nice for her."**

**Zelda shakes her head as she splits my hair into three sections and starts to weave them into one braid, "You always look nice. I don't know what has gotten into you this year."**

**I sigh, "I just love her, you know?"**

**Zelda gasps and pulls my hair a bit by accident.**

**"Ow! Zeld–"**

**"You** **_love_ ** **her?"**

**I couldn't help but blush and mess with my fingers, "I mean yeah. She's gorgeous, smart, she can use a sword and bow like it's nothing. She's a great cook, funny and is extremely good at her job. I've never met anyone like her."**

**Zelda smiles, “Ah, young love.”**

**She giggles and ties the braid with a blue hair tie. She elbows me off the stool and sits back down. I take another look in the mirror and smile at her, “Thanks Zelds. So how do I go about getting her a necklace?”**

**She taps her fingers on the vanity, “Down in Hyrule Square there’s an old man who sells intricate jewelry. He’s the descendant of a family jeweler we had long ago.”**

**“I don't imagine it comes cheap.”**

**She chuckles, taking a flat tin of charcoal and dipping her brush in it lightly, running it through her eyelashes, “He may give you a small discount. You are the captain of the royal guard after all.”**

**I roll my eyes and start to think about (y/n). I wonder if she’s awake yet. She looks ridiculous in a cute way when she wakes up. Her hair flying in several different directions and the impressions of the bed sheets on her face. I sigh, making my way towards the doors of the bedroom before stopping at the threshold.**

**“You think he’ll make a ring for me?”**

**Zelda turns to me, her jaw drops, “A** **_what_ ** **?”**

**I shrug, “Well if I love her, it only makes sense to marry her right?”**

**She smiles, tears welling up in her eyes like the crybaby she's always been, “Sounds right to me Linky.”**

**~**

**I didn't wear my royal guard uniform after all, it looks too serious for a laid-back day like today. The sun is high in the air, about nine or ten in the afternoon. I round the corner and stand at the top of the stairs, looking over at the small marketplace that was established in front of Hyrule Castle. I work my way down and try to get some ideas in my head before I ask the jeweler. I feel she would look best in rubies. She's so hot headed it'd be an insult to get her something with sapphires. Not too sure about a metal color, I'd have to wait to see what he has. The suspense is killing me! She would look gorgeous in anything but I have to make sure she likes it first. I practically run to the stand and slap my hand down, "Good morning!"**

**The old man jumps and puts his hand on his chest, "Oh goddesses. Hello young captain."**

**I couldn't contain my excitement, "Can I see what jewelry you have? I need a necklace for my girlfriend."**

**His eyes brighten as he pulls out a small wooden box lined with silk and several items resting inside.**

**"How long have you two been together?"**

**Oh fuck, I somehow wasn't prepared for that question.**

**I rub the back of my neck sheepishly, "Ah, a few months. Three or four."**

**He chuckles, "I know that look. You're in love with her."**

**"That's an understatement."**

**He points to a ruby necklace in the box. The gem itself was encased in a silver pendant with a single diamond above it. I couldn't stop staring at it. It was perfect.**

**"Can I adjust the length of it? She's a blacksmith and I don't want it to get in her way."**

**"A blacksmith eh", he starts, picking up the necklace and fiddling around with the chain, "She wouldn't happen to be from Hateno would she?"**

**I laugh, this guy must be a traveler as well or he's really good at guessing. She isn't hard to miss with her loud mouth and quality products.**

**"Yeah she is."**

**"It's definitely a surprise to see someone being able to handle her. My grandson at one point tried to marry her and she flat out rejected him."**

**"Oh, sorry about that." I mutter.**

**He chortles, "No need to apologize child", he held up the necklace to my face, using his fingers to widen the chain around them, "How does this look?"**

**I carefully examine it and do my best to imagine it on (y/n). It's short enough to see when she isn't wearing armor and short enough to not get in her way when she's recklessly banging on metal. I smile at him, "Looks perfect. How much do I owe you?"**

**"For the Hero of Hyrule, this ones on the house."**

**I scramble to grab the slate from my waist and swipe through my inventory, "N-no let me pay you! I appreciate your help with this."**

**He hums as he prepares a box with a small bit of silk and fits it tightly in place. He gingerly put the box on top of the slate in my hands, "Just come back with her and the necklace. It would be an honor to see her wearing it in person."**

**I nod and move the box into the slate, where it appeared in my inventory. I hook it back onto my belt and wave goodbye at the old man. Jogging towards the stable, I untie Mabel and give her a few pets.**

**"When we get back I'll be sure to give you some fruit!"**

**She whinnies in response and I climb on top of her, kicking her side to trot out of the square. Everyone waves at me as I leave and I wave back. I couldn't wait until I got back to Hateno. And at this rate, I'll be there just as quickly as I got here.**


	15. Forged Valentine's Special (Reader Edition)

**I wake up by myself. I'm pretty sure I went to bed with Link but the fact he isn't here is mildly concerning. The slate was gone from the other nightstand, maybe he went to practice fighting with the master sword? Doesn't matter,** **_I'm_ ** **going to get shit together for Venus Day.**

**I never really had anyone to celebrate with and I usually had lunch with my dad or something but I wanted to go all out for my first time. I really like him too.**

**I get out of bed to stretch and search for some clothes to wear. Link's blue tunic hung over the bathroom door so I'm sure it was dry by now. I snatch it down and take some pants from my bottom drawer. I peek into the top drawer where I kept my bras and panties. Maybe I should wear some cute ones? I mean what if we end up having sex and I have boring panties on? Absolutely ridiculous.**

**I pull out a purple bra with gold details and the matching panties. This little number I haven't even worn yet, but it definitely came from Gerudo. I hop into the bathroom, turn on the water and put my hair up. A bath sounds like a good idea.**

**~**

**I stand in front of the bathroom mirror for what felt like forever. What do I do with my hair? Anything? I mean I wasn't wearing anything fancy or eye-catching. Just some plain pants and Link's shirt. Maybe I'll just take it down. I pull the hair from out of the bun/ponytail combo and let the (h/c) curls fall loosely off my shoulders. I need a haircut too, fuck.**

**I comb it out with my fingers and move to the living room where I hid a piece of paper under a vase on the console table. Okay, creamy heart soup, creamy heart soup. 'Enjoying this sweet soup with another person will bring you closer together'. I can make soup, that's for damn sure. My main focus though, was the fact I really wanted to bake something for Link. I don't know what he likes but it can't be hard to guess right?**

**I walk into the kitchen and prepare a roux with tabantha wheat and goat butter. When the mixture is a golden brown I pour in some fresh milk, stir it around quickly and turn the heat on low. I cut up some radishes and hydromelon to carefully put into the soup base. I stir it as well making sure to crush bits of the hydromelon to thicken it and give it a light pink color. I slap a lid on it and assess the next mission.**

**Carrot cake.**

**I run over the ingredients in my head over and over again while taking them out of their appropriate places. I chop up the carrots as finely as I can and set them aside. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, I combine some milk, tabantha wheat, sugar and eggs and mix it until the lumps disappear, or at least** **_appear_ ** **less lumpy. I take out a deep, round pan and rub a stick of goat butter all inside of it to prevent the cake from sticking. After stirring in the carrots, I pour the batter into the pan and slap it on the counter a bit to get all the air bubbles out. Great! I put the pan carefully in the oven and peek at the clock. Okay at least thirty-five minutes before I take it back out. I turn the soup down a bit and give it a quick stir. I can’t wait until he comes back.**

**~**

**A burning smell fills my nose. I sit up from the couch, the house almost full of smoke. I open the front door and rush to the oven, where the carrot cake was burnt and saw better days. You gotta be fucking KIDDING me. I take out the pan and set it on a towel laying on the counter and sigh, looking around for the bowl I had used to mix the batter in. I fell asleep, waiting for the cake to be done and guess what? It was** **_really_ ** **done.**

**I groan and redo the entire process again, cutting the carrots, mixing the batter, adding the carrots, buttering the pan and pouring the mix into the pan. Place it in the oven for thirty-five minutes. Don't fall asleep. I sat on the kitchen floor in front of the oven.**

**_Don't fall asleep._ **

**_Don't fall asleep._ **

**Hold on. I yank the fridge open and gaze at the bottle of wildberry wine I had stolen from Aunt Purah. A few glasses will do and I'll sit in front of the oven and read a book! That'll keep me awake. I pour a glass of wine and rummage through my bookshelf for something I haven't read, or finished so to speak.**

**I pull one of my oldest books from the shelf. 'Keep Me Close' by...well the name faded but there was a traveler near one of the stables long ago who gave me this book. She had written it herself and wanted me to read it and let her know if it was good. That was almost eight years ago and I haven't seen her since. I take the book up in arms and grab the glass of wine from the table to take my post in front of the oven. I can't fuck it up this time.**

**~**

**The small timer made a beeping noise and I jump from the floor in a rush. The whole action making me dizzy for a second. I pick up the glass, put it on the counter and take one of my ratty potholders to pull the cake out of the oven. It actually looks good! I've never been so thrilled in my life, this is my first cake that I haven't burned. I set it on the stove and bounce around the kitchen, looking for things to mix up icing with. Okay so a basic icing is butter, fresh milk and some sugar. I quickly wash the bowl that I used for cake batter and dry it off a good bit before putting it on the counter. I need the butter to soften before I do anything else, fuck, wish I did that earlier. I put it near the oven, which was still pretty warm, and pour another glass of wine and go back to my book. It was actually really good now that I'm focusing on it and understanding the story.**

**I take a sip and turn the page, propping myself up against the cabinets and doing my best to get comfortable on the floor again. I'll give the butter about ten minutes.**

**~**

**I open my eyes and adjust to the lighting. What the fuck–**

**_The cake!_ **

**I jump up, this time knocking over the glass and breaking it just to check on the goat butter. Unfortunately it was in a puddle of itself, dripping off of the counter and into the floor. I groan, why do I keep falling asleep? I went to bed relatively early last night. Maybe it's the wine. I eye the bottle on the dining room table and stomp towards it, a shard of glass pierces my foot in the process. My eyes tear up as I hop towards a chair on one foot. I was** **_so_ ** **close! All I had was icing left to do and I couldn't even do that. I wince and take out the piece of glass from my foot, which in return bled slowly all over my foot and hands. Now I need a bandage, ugh. I hop into the bathroom on one foot and rummage through the medicine cabinet to find some gauzes and what looks like the last bandage I had. Fucking Link and him getting hurt doing hero shit, I would have more than one. I groan and wet a small cloth in the sink, hop into my bedroom and sit on the bed so I could wipe the blood off.**

**The front door opens and my heart drops.**

**"Oh my goddesses–"**

**Link walks into the room, his smile never leaving his face, "(Y/n) what are you doing?"**

**"I-I stepped on some glass and I'm trying to put a bandage on my foot–"**

**He rushes to my side and takes the gauze and such away from me, gets on his knees and wipes the rest of the blood away.**

**"It doesn't look too bad. Does it hurt?"**

**"I haven't really walked on it yet." I say, blushing like a mad man. I won't lie, there was something about him being on his knees that made me feel kind of warm inside. I didn't even think as I reach out to him and play with his hair a bit. He chuckles, "Well I'll grab an elixir for you in case it hurts to walk on it."**

**He stood up and looks down at me, the height difference very apparent. I stare at him for a bit, trying to pinpoint why he looked different. I got used to the slight facial hair he was growing, the scar under his chin and the freckles that would pop up every now and again but something still wasn't right–**

**"Link did you braid your hair?"**

**A shocked look crosses his face before he smiles, "Oh no Zelda did it."**

**"You went to see Zelda?"**

**"Yeah."**

**"Early in the morning?" I ask, raising a brow.**

**"Hey come on don't think like that."**

**"I'm not, I'm not, just curious."**

**I got up and yelp, the pain in my foot registering now that I put pressure on it. Link held his arms out, "Be careful."**

**I walk past him, "I'm the most careful person on earth."**

**He smacks his teeth and follows me into the living room, where I stop him in his tracks after remembering the mess I made in the kitchen.**

**"W-wait, um–"**

**"What's wrong?" He asks, cocking his head to the side.**

**"I made dinner and dessert kind of."**

**"Kind of?" he laughs.**

**"Well the dinner part is done I just, kind of fucked up the cake." I mutter.**

**He smiles at me, wider than I've ever seen him smile, "You made a** **_cake_ ** **?"**

**I blush, putting my foot down, "Yes! I did! I figured you would like it."**

**He tilts my chin up towards him and kisses me quickly before pulling away and wrapping his arms around me.**

**"Did you do this for Venus Day?"**

**"I did." I say, my voice being muffled into his chest.**

**"That's cute."**

**I smile, of course it's cute. Even though I kind of wanted it to be a surprise but whatever.**

**"Okay let me go, I haven't cleaned the glass in the kitchen."**

**He let me out of his grasp before holding my hand tightly. I turn to look at him, "I have to clean–"**

**"I know I know, I just have something for you."**

**I raise a brow, "Yeah?"**

**He let my hand go and reaches for the slate, "Stay right there."**

**I fold my arms as he tapped away, a blue light forming in front of us as he held out one of his hands. It was a small box.**

**"Oh see, now what the fuck is that?"**

**"Hold on hold on." He says, the item finally materializing completely. He smiles at me and hands the box to me. I look at him and look at the box before taking it.**

**"Open it!"**

**"Shut up."**

**He was bouncing like a child who had cake for breakfast. I look at him again before slowly opening the box, a silver necklace fitted with a ruby and diamond pendant gleaming back at me. A smile crept on my face as I look at him, his face getting brighter by the second.**

**"A necklace?"**

**"Yeah! Zelda suggested it."**

**"That's why you went to the castle?"**

**"Yeah, I didn't know what to get you and she suggested I get a necklace. I chose ruby because you are the most hotheaded person I know, besides myself."**

**My eyes water again before jumping into his arms, almost knocking him over.**

**"I actually love it. Thank you."**

**He rubs my back as I back away a bit and kiss his cheek.**

**"Want me to put it on?"**

**I nod as I give the box back to him. He takes the necklace from it's container and wraps it around my neck, the cold feeling jolting me a bit. He fastens the clasp and spun me around, smiling.**

**"It looks great on you (y/n)."**

**He takes my hand and kisses my forehead, "Alright so what about dinner?"**

**"Creamy heart soup and carrot cake with no icing because I fell asleep and let the butter melt completely."**

**He chuckles, "We can make the icing, don't worry."**

**I smile, all my feelings for him in full bloom, I think I'm in love with him.**

**"Yeah, alright."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> attention fortnite gamers: happy valentines, leave kudos, love u


	16. PreCal Seven: The Ceremony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda recites a prayer to Link. The others look bored on the sidelines.

_ Princess Zelda and all five Champions stood in the sacred ground circle. The princess and Link in the middle, and the other four on the sidelines. They watched as Link was bent on one knee, looking at the ground and Zelda started her speech. _

_ "Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness…You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity. And have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess Hylia." _

_ She held her hands to her chest and smiled at Link, visibly trying to remain serious. _

_ "Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight…The sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero." _

_ She burst into laughter, everyone sighed and Link looked up at her, "Zelds come on, we're almost done!" _

_ "Okay", she giggled, "okay okay sorry." _

_ She cleared her throat and adjusted her posture, "We pray for your protection…and we hope that—that the two of you will grow stronger together, as one. Forged in the long-distant past, the sword that seals the darkness…Guardian of Hyrule, ancient steel, forever bound to the hero." _

_ Revali shuffled, "Oh my goddesses why the hell did we have to be here for this?" _

_ Urbosa elbowed him and almost knocked him to the floor. Mipha shushed him. _

_ "In the name of Goddess Hylia, I bless you and your chosen hero. Over the seas of time and distance, when we need the golden power of the Goddess…Our hope rests in you, to be forever by the hero’s side. Again we pray…that the two of you will grow stronger…and be together as one." _

_ Everyone lets out a sigh of relief, they had been standing there for five minutes before because Zelda couldn't stop laughing. You would think she'd be better at being serious, being the princess of Hyrule, but she proved everyone wrong. _

_ "Jeez that was uplifting." Daruk snarked, "She's making it sound like we already lost." _

_ Revali laughed and everyone turned to look at him, "Oh shit sorry I thought it was a joke. This is your idea though Daruk." _

_ Daruk looked at him from the corner of his eye as the Rito warrior continued, "You’re the one who wanted to designate the appointed knight with all the ceremonial pomp, grandeur, and nonsense we could muster.” _

_ Revali does a small stretch and yawned, "And if you ask me, the whole thing does seem to be overkill." _

_ "Oh shut up, just be happy for him for once." Urbosa boomed. _

_ Once Link stood up, Mipha ran towards Zelda and kissed her passionately, "You're so beautiful when you try to be serious." _

_ Zelda giggled, "It's so hard with you guys." _

_ "Boooo! Get a room!" Revali shouted. _

_ Link narrowed his eyes at him, prompting the man to quiet down. Daruk looked as if he were fighting off a smile and Urbosa was ready to snap Revali in half. _

_ "Alright! Dinner and drinks?" Zelda yelled, holding up Mipha's hand. All the champions cheered while making their way back to the castle. Link was now blessed by the princess and his best friend, giving him more confidence than ever that they will beat Ganon before he does any damage to the town. _

_ At least that's what he hoped. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I'm at 700 hits for this self-indulgent drunken fanfiction 🥺 I remember getting kind of drunk one night and thinking, hol up, Link kinda cute LMAO thank ya'll sm <3


	17. Eight (a smidge of sexual content haha)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Link start to make your way up to Goron City. But first, nap time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next main chapter is gonna be from Link's POV and its ok if you hate it, I hate it too

My sleep was interrupted by a mild shake. I angrily open my eyes to Link leaning over me, his hair in a bun with little chopsticks, a black and navy blue outfit and a white scarf around his neck. I moved past the initial anger of being woken up and went directly to being confused.

"What in the seven fucks are you wearing?"

"It's a stealth set I bought when I was passing through Kakariko."

"But why are you wearing it now?"

"Because it's morning and you said we were gonna leave around this time."

I sit up and rub my eyes, "Jeez I didn't expect you to be up before me."

He shrugs and stands, "Well neither did I."

I turn to get out of bed and rummage through my wardrobe. Oh! I can wear the red and white shirt from Kakariko and some plain pants, I was just gonna put armor over it anyways.

"Get out so I can change."

Link blushes, the redness reaching his ears, "Oh shit yeah, sorry."

As soon as he's out of sight I change into the shirt and pants, put my hair into two pigtails and slip on a pair of heavy duty fireproof boots. I walk out of the room and into the living room where my fireproof armor was propped against the wall. 

Link was standing by the kitchen archway eating an apple, "You're definitely  _ something _ ." 

His face was still red, but not as dark as before as he pretty fucking much undressed me with his eyes. Hopefully with my luck that will become a reality for both of us. Not sure why he keeps dancing around it, he had the opportunity last night. I mean it's not like I'm out there about it too. I just don't know what he's really thinking and most of our interactions are kind of wholesome. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask, putting on the chest piece and tightening the straps on the sides. I buckle up the straps on my shoulders and tightened them, don't need this sliding off on the way to Goron City.

Link finishes off his apple and throws it out the window before walking towards me, "It means you're kinda cute."

Oh fuck, now my face is red. He's never said  _ that _ before. But I mean I guess there was some sort of attraction he had to me, given what Purah said and any time he fucking looks at me. Oh yeah we also kissed.  _ Three times.  _ Oh yeah, I’m counting.

"Thanks."

He smiles, bringing my chin up to him, "Anytime."

He actually had a grip on me as I tried looking away from him when my face went red. He wouldn't let go, and instead gave me a sly smile. His eyes darken for a split second before letting me go. 

"Can you go check on Mabel?" I ask him, almost too eager for him to leave. I was too busy freaking out over the compliment. I mean he did compliment me the night before last when I was trying on my dress but it wasn't quite directed to me you know? He nods and walks out the door, closing it behind him. I let out the biggest sigh in the universe. Is he gonna keep being so  _ flattering  _ the whole trip? I don't even think I would be able to survive. I slip into the shin guards and tie them up tightly in the back before going to grab my little belt. It had a sheath for my knife and a pouch for little things I find while I'm out. I grab my bow and arrow from my workshop and lock the door.

I walk out of the shop and see Link fixing up Mabel's saddle and adjusting the reins. 

"Where's your horse?" I ask.

He looks at me and the corner of his mouth curls just a bit, "I don't have one right now. I'm sure I'll find one on the way."

"Soooo–"

"So I'll be riding with you."

Two people on Mabel? I was afraid she wouldn't even make it. She's strong but I don't think she could handle both of us without collapsing from exhaustion. 

"I can't, I don't want to put Mabel at risk of being hurt."

"That's actually a fair point."

I roll my eyes, "We could just take turns on the horse if need be."

"Nah I couldn't do that", he says, motioning me to get on instead, "Ladies first."

I give him a cheeky smirk, "Now you want to be chivalrous?"

"I'm always chivalrous, come on, I was part of the royal guard."

I leap onto Mabel's back and give her some pats just to let her know she was okay. Sometimes she gets a little startled after a few days without someone riding on her.

"So you're gonna walk?" I ask him, not so subtly staring at his outfit. Jeez you can really see  _ everything  _ in that thing. It's tight around his chest and arms, you could clearly see how big they were when he flexed or something equally stupid. My eyes ended up on his cock. Half on accident and half on purpose, but to be fair you could get a  _ really _ nice look from here. Granted I can't quite pinpoint the size, it was still kind of hot to be able to see a faint outline. You had to look hard too. My body was on fire and my head was fuzzy, I would do anything to have him destroy me in bed. I bet he could break the frame. Oh my  _ goddess. _

"(y/n) you're not listening again are you?"

I blink quickly, trying to force myself out of my horny daze, "The fuck? I heard what you said smartass."

"Then what did I say?"

"Something stupid."

Link smacks his teeth, "Goddammit."

"Okay okay I'm sorry, what did you actually say?"

"I was asking where you wanted to head to first."

"Goron City is ideal, that way I can mine some gems and buy some goron spice. After that I'm pretty sure we can just go east to Akkala, I know a pretty good leatherworker there who will give me a good price. After that we can just work out way back here."

"I don't have any fireproof armor, remember?"

"Yeah I know, there's a stable up there where a girl sells fireproof elixirs, don't worry."

"Alright well sounds like you got it all figured out."

I look at him and smile before kicking Mabel's side, just having her trot for now. Maybe we'll come across another horse while we're out. I felt kind of bad about Link just walking beside me. At some point, Mabel went a bit faster than she usually did and it rocked me from side to side. I let out a small whimper, I totally forgot I was turned on just by staring at Link's cock. Oh and what he could do with it to me. 

_ Please don't notice, please don't notice. _

Mabel just needs to calm the fuck down for a second, it's like a fucking waterfall down there. The friction between my pussy and the saddle made it really hard to think straight, let alone process where I was going. Link yanks on the reins, "Hold on, where are you going?"

"What?"

"You're not paying attention."

"Huh well you are."

He rolls his eyes, "That's it, I'm coming up there."

"W-what?"

"You heard me, we'll take our chances and ride on her at the same time. I don't trust you on your own."

I blush, riding with him would just make everything worse. He would hear me moan everytime Mabel picked up her speed. I can't help it, it's just been so long since I masturbated and it probably would come in handy now since I have no clue what the future brings with us. I get off of Mabel and motion him up towards her, "Ladies first."

He narrows his eyes and jumps on top of Mabel and I follow soon after. She didn't object or make a noise so that's a good start. 

"Just don't go too fast. I don't want to strain her."

"You got it."

He kicks Mabel twice and she canters down the trail, the movement causing a bit of friction, not much. This was the worst, how long was I gonna be horny for? Hopefully when we stop at a stable I can fix this or something, I can't handle this for much longer. I could kiss him, well I should have done that earlier because now we're on the move. I groan and lean against his back.

"You do realize you need to put your arms around me in order to not fall off if I go faster."

"I haven't realized anything my whole life." I say, staring off into the distance.

This time Link groans and pulls Mabel to a stop, "(Y/n)!"

"What?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"No? Why?"

"You just feel distant or something."

I wrap my arms around his waist and lean into his back, "I'm fine Link."

He takes a deep breath and kicks Mabel again, this time sending her into a gallop. Somehow this was slightly worse. I was still wet as rain, practically bouncing on Mabel's back and my hand was deathly close to his cock.

_ Don't touch it, don't touch it!  _

I lean harder into his back as the fabric of my pants rubbed my clit with every move. Hopefully he couldn't hear my whimpers. I'm having a blast back here,  _ literally. _ Fuck I hope we get to a stable soon, I have too much sexual frustration to just be holding onto until Goron City.

~

~

I can bet 4,000 rupees the stable manager had enough of my face. Maybe even Link as well, I'm not sure how much he's been here but you get the point. We arrive at Dueling Peaks just to take a quick break and stretch a bit before heading out again. I get off of Mabel and fall completely on the ground, getting mud all over my face and arms. I groan, who the fuck put the ground right there?

To be fair it was kind of my fault seeing as I pretty much got off before getting here. It wasn't a great orgasm but it'll do for now. My legs must have given in from the shockwave in my body. I giggle quietly.

I hear Link's boots stomp on the ground before he leans down and holds out his hand, "Fuck (Y/n) are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, just nothing a little water can’t get off."

I take his hand and he pulls me up with ease. Fuck he's strong. I brush off a bit of the mud and pull Mabel to the stable.

I walk to the counter and smile, "Hello again."

"Nice to see you. And him." he says, gesturing to Link who was wandering off. I'll get back to him later.

"Yeah I've pretty much adopted him at this point." I laugh, writing my name in the book. I hand him 20 rupees and the stable keeper guides my sweet girl into a stable.

I walk over to Link who was crouched down, staring into the pond like a fucking idiot. I bend down next to him and try to look at what he's looking at. 

"What are you doing?"

"I uh, um, fuck. I just remembered something from the past. It was nice for a moment. You know, until I remembered it already happened." he said, picking up a pebble and throwing it into the water.

What did he remember? Would it be rude to ask? Maybe I should just comfort him or something. It's not any of my business unless he makes it my business. I just reach out for his hand instead and he takes it immediately, weaving his fingers through mine.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

Well fuck dude I don't know what else to say! Wait, maybe I shouldn't have said anything and just left it where it was. UGH.

He squeezes my hand, "You like being covered in mud?"

"Oh ha ha." 

He took his free hand and splashed me with water. I was in so much shock I let go of his hand and stood up, "You bastard!"

"I'm trying to get the mud off!" he laughs, splashing more water in my direction.

"Oh yeah?" I rush to the riverside and splash him repeatedly, the water just beading up on his armor. Well shit, that didn't work.

He stood and wipes his hand on my face, getting some of the dirt off but still smudging it a bit before bringing my chin up to his face and kissing me without warning. I open my eyes and looked over towards the stable to see if anyone was watching and kiss him back.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

His eyes were dark as he stared at my lips, his hand still under my chin, "I'm fine now honey."

"Why do you keep fucking calling me that?"

"Because you taste sweet." he purred.

Oh my  _ fuck. _ I felt my body melt all over again. He has to be doing that on purpose, there's no other way. He's slept with women a century ago so he still must have some idea of what makes them tick. My face was red, really red. That made him grin at me more, his eyes not getting any lighter like they usually are. Oh fuck what is he going to do?  _ Oh fuck what is he going to do? _

"Alright you ready to get moving?"

_ Fuck no?  _ How am I going to manage the ride up to Goron City if he was gonna pull this prince charming shit at every stable we stopped at? I wouldn't last a day. Oh great now I'm fucking wet and he's walking off towards the stable. Cocky bastard.

~

~

The sun was setting behind Hyrule Castle as we trotted our way down the trail. I fell asleep on Link at some point, everything that happened earlier finally catching up to me. 

"Are we there yet?"

"Where?"

"Anywhere, I'm fucking tired."

"Just go back to sleep then." Link says.

I groan and he laughs, the vibration running through my body as well.

"Okay we'll stay at the next stable we come across."

"Thank Hylia."

I lean against Link's back and gazed off into the forest. The fireflies dancing around the trees, the sounds of the wind rippling through the water. Mabel canters down the trail, the wind blowing towards Link mainly but also making its way to me, blowing my pigtails all over the place.

"Link." I call, leaning up a bit.

"What's up?"

"What did you remember?"

I felt him take a deep breath, "Can we talk about it later? Like at a stable?"

"Yeah that's fine I just–"

"I know."

I hope it isn't too terrible of a memory. I just wanted him to feel better, and maybe sharing would be the right choice.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I say.

"No I want to."

I rest my head on his back again, it's nice that he wants to talk to me about it. Maybe we're getting somewhere in the platonic department, because we've been around the block romantically. 

My eyes start to feel heavy just before we came to a trot. I lean up and peek around Link. Wow, a stable? That fast? I don't know how much time has passed realistically but it seems like it didn't take long. I jump off fine this time, Link doing the same. 

"Do you wanna go ahead and pick a bed? I'll take care of Mabel."

I nod and head into the tent, letting out a small yawn. The stable manager turns towards me, "Need a bed?"

"Yeah, but can I do one bed for two people? I don't think he wants to be any farther away from me than he has to."

The manager laughs, "Yeah sure, 20 rupees."

I hand him the currency and wave at him. One bed in the middle of the room caught my eye and I shuffle towards it, flinging backwards on the mattress. I sigh loudly, holy fuck do I love beds. They're much better than sleeping out in the wild or on horseback. I get up to take off my armor and stretch. Link walks in and smiles, "I didn't mean what I said earlier." 

I narrow my eyes at him, "What are you on about?"

"When I said you were cute."

My eyes widen and I swallow, trying my best not to tear him to pieces, "You didn't mean it?"

Not that it really matters but fuck, the  _ audacity  _ this man had.

"Nope" he says, popping the 'p', "You are–"

He comes closer to me, putting both his hands on my waist and teasing his fingers up the sides of my shirt, "Beautiful."

"What? Also quit, goddesses were in plain sight." I say, trying to bat his hand away.

He presses his entire body against me, almost making me fall over. 

"You  _ heard _ me." he growls.

My heart skipped a beat and my breath hitched, it's that  _ tone  _ again. I would love to fool around but he keeps dancing around it because I'm guessing he likes seeing people suffer. No that's not true, he was putting his life on the line to defeat Ganon. 

He pulls away from me and kisses my forehead, as if nothing fucking happened. Why does he have to be so dramatic and bossy? Is that his royal guard coming out? I think it's kind of hot, given a different environment.

He sits on the bed and takes off his shin guards, "You gonna sleep in the bed with all that mud on you?"

"Oh fuck you." I say, taking off my shoes. Even though we were the only two in the tent as of right now, I made it a point to be a little quieter. Goddess forbid anyone eavesdrop on our ridiculous conversations.

I get into bed with him, for the first time ever it's a  _ little  _ awkward. I turn to face him instead of having my back to him and he already has his fucking eyes closed. It's been four seconds!

"I think this bed is too small." I say.

"Maybe." 

"Are you going to sleep?"

"Maybe."

I roll my eyes and turn to lay on my back instead. I couldn't get comfortable and it was annoying the fuck out of me. I let out a loud sigh and close my eyes, Link beginning to snore next to me. 

Maybe we should've gotten separate beds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it has been brought to my attention that with these chapters (including the precal bois) and the ones I have already backed up this story is already 74,000 words long. someone should take my computer from me  
> antyways, like, comment, subscribe also I love u


	18. PreCal Eight: Mipha's Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mipha patches Link up after a scuffle between him and the Rito native.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been out all day after work I'm sorry this is late u can crucify me

_Link and the newly recruited champion of Vah Ruta – Mipha – sat on top of the divine beast, facing the sun. The Zora native sat beside Link, holding her hands over his wound. Glowing teal light came from her palms as she cleared her throat, "So how long have you known the princess?"_

_Link thought for a second, trying to recall the memory of meeting Zelda for the first time. Upon regaining the complete memory, he chuckled softly, "Jeez it feels like forever. But when we were around nine or ten. My father introduced me to Rhoam and he figured I would be the perfect knight for Zelda."_

_"You ever had a crush on her?"_

_He stuck his tongue out in disgust, "Goddesses no, she's like a bratty younger sister to me."_

_She laughed, watching the wound close itself up and putting her hands in her lap. Mipha only met Zelda just a few weeks ago when she came to talk to her about operating Vah Ruta, but she didn't get a chance to experience her personality outside of being a technology geek._

_"She has a cute accent. How come you don't have one? You're Hylian right?"_

_Link scoffed, "Her accent is annoying. I don't know why I don't have one."_

_She laughed once more, "Are you sure you're just not an asshole?"_

_Link cocks his head to the side, mocking her, "Whatever do you mean Mipha?"_

_She elbowed him and sighed, "I'm a little anxious. You know," she spoke, slapping the divine beast, "Piloting this thing."_

_Link stood and stretched, "It's a piece of cake, I promise. Just get to know it a bit every day. I'll be counting on you the day Ganon strikes."_

_She stood as well, turning to face Link and nod._

_"Alright now I'm starving. What do you guys have here?"_

_She smacked her teeth, "Well if you must know, we have a lot of fish around. Not much of anything else."_

_"I can deal with that."_

_She starts walking towards the ladder that goes down into the control room, "So crab risotto?"_

_He followed her, "That sounds good. I'll take it!"_

_Both champions climb down the ladder and make their way to the exit, confident in each other's company. It was always nice to make a friend._


	19. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link tells you about one of his memories before Calamity.

_ "Link...what's taking you so long?" _

My eyes shot open, the voice calling out to me sounded just like Zelda. But how could she reach me like that? Her powers? I'll believe it when I see it. I sit up and look around, I'm missing a certain woman. I look over on her side of the bed and notice her armor is still there. She doesn't have her armor on so she hadn't gotten far I'm sure.

I get out of bed to stretch, put my shin guards back on, and took my hair out of the bun, putting the chopsticks on the bed. I didn't make it out of the stable before (y/n) came into view, holding a bunch of herbs.

"Oh, you're awake finally."

I chuckle, "Yeah, I noticed you weren't next to me."

She rolls her eyes and flashes a small smile, "What the fuck ever."

"So what's in your hands?"

She ruffles through the herbs, "I have some armoranth, Hyrule herb, and some of these flowers."

I walk towards her and pluck the flower from the bundle, "Silent princess."

"What?"

"That's what this is called", I mutter, spinning it in between my fingers, "Zelda loved this flower."

Her eyes soften, "Oh."

Sighing, I give the flower back to her as I leave the stable to go walk around a bit. That is, I tried to, as (y/n) grabs my wrist, preventing me from moving forward.

"Are you gonna tell me what you remembered last night?"

Oh yeah, I forgot I was going to tell her that. It's been running through my mind ever since. The guy from Rito Village, Revali, why did I have a hostile feeling towards him? At least I used to back then. We were always betting or competing for some dumb-ass reason.

I end up retracing my steps and pull her over to the bed where we both sit. She's still holding onto the herbs she found, kind of thought that was cute.

"Zelda, Mipha, Revali, and I were at a bar. Before that Revali and I were having a competition on who can shoot the most targets with arrows in the air. I think we tied. Anyways I ended up challenging him to a drinking game and whoever lost had to pay for everything. I forgot who won but it was a nice feeling to have. Having fun with these people I worked with and called my friends."

"There's a bar in Rito?"

"Yeah and in Kakariko."

"Oh shit, I didn't even realize. Maybe I should go there, have a few drinks and dance or some shit."

I laugh at her response, mildly feeling guilty I didn't tell her the  _ whole _ truth. I don't think she would have liked the part where some girl blew me in the men's bathroom and I slept with another girl at the inn there. It didn't mean anything to me. I don't know  _ what _ woman wants to hear that. Especially not with her temper and how easy it is to set her off.

I like that about her. Maybe because it made me feel like I wasn't alone with my temper. I'm tired of being alone. I don't have Mipha, Revali, Daruk, Urbosa, and Zelda. Especially, Zelda, I hope she's okay for now. 

"Yeah, we can go together."

She pauses for a second before getting up and smiles at me, fuck I love her smile, "Maybe. I'm gonna go feed Mabel, you hungry?"

I shrug, "Just a bit, why?"

She walks out of the stable with a bounce in her step, "I could make something small and quick. We have to get going anyway."

I yawn and take the sheikah slate off of my belt, tapping on it a few times before handing it to her.

"I'll let you handle that, I'm gonna walk around."

"Don't get lost." she says, sticking her tongue out at me.

"You'll come find me?" I ask, going the opposite direction she was heading.

She gave me the middle finger and I laugh at her. It's ridiculous how she acts towards me. I know she has feelings, granted I don't know if it's a crush or infatuation but I definitely like her, and not for a one-night stand. No, she has to be more than that. I pass through some trees and into a small clearing of grass, bugs, and rocks. 

I sit on one of the flat rocks in the area. Should I just ask her? I feel like it's too early. I've been thinking about her since Vah Ruta and now that she's here with me I can't even function. She's the only reason I wanted to come back alive. I would have never thought –or maybe I  _ have _ thought– some random woman would give me so much will to get all of this Ganon thing over with. Besides Zelda of course. 

_ "If you take back all of the divine beasts, defeating Ganon will be a piece of cake. I suggest you find the master sword first. It increases the damage against Ganon's malice." _

Purah's words bounce around my head. How am I supposed to find it? My frustration overwhelms me. Where do I even start? Why can't Zelda tell me that instead of rushing me? She hasn't matured a bit since then, I smile to myself. I'll ask her again when I make it back to Hateno, I mean she has to have an idea of where it is right?  _ Right? _

I peek around the trees, still relatively close to the stable, where (Y/n) was pacing back and forth tapping on the slate. At least five different things appear and fall right on the ground in front of her, where she struggles to catch them and looks up at the sky –in what I'm guessing– annoyance.

When I finally reunite with Zelda I can't wait to tell her about (y/n). There isn't anyone on the planet that can keep me as entertained as her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all aren't ready for these future chapters I swear


	20. PreCal Nine: Not So Silent Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda goes out for a walk and plays with the sheikah slate. Link, of course, has to tag along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you may be wondering where the smut is but I PROMISE its on the way, its so close I can taste it  
> also maybe I'll upload an extra chapter when this bad boy is at 1000 hits <3

_ Link and Zelda trekked up a hill near Hyrule Castle where she claimed her favorite tree. She would sit on top of the hill under the large tree that supplied plenty of shade and read over her research notes. The sound of the wind blowing, the birds chirping and bugs buzzing around gave her peace. For a second, she wasn't Princess Zelda, just an ordinary girl fascinated with ancient technology. _

_ They reached the peak of the hill and Link plopped on the ground, "I even have to come with you for stuff like this." _

_ "It's your job." She said, standing in front of him, taking pictures of the mountains and flowers with the sheikah slate. _

_ He sighed and leaned against the tree, closing his eyes. Zelda was too busy playing with the slate and all of its functions to notice her knight was half asleep. She picked up a rock and threw it at him, "If you pay attention you might learn something!" _

_ "All I'm learning is that this", he said, gesturing at her and the slate, "is very boring." _

_ She stuck her tongue out at him and bent down to take pictures of the flowers. _

_ "Hyrule has some of the prettiest flowers! They also have varying properties in medicine. I should take time out to study the different kinds as well." _

_ Link sat up with his hands on the ground in between his legs, "Yeah?" _

_ Zelda gasped and softly caressed a blue and white flower, "Hey look!" _

_ Link crawled on his hands and knees to get a good look at what she was excited about this time. _

_ "It's a silent princess. They are endangered now and can only grow out in the wild. We can't get them to grow domestically.” _

_ Link looked at the flower and then at her. She looked sad about this flower. Maybe it's because she was a princess yet never silent. Her mind was always going, constantly thinking and having new ideas and techniques. He envied that. _

_ She jumped, something catching her attention as she crawled over in the direction quickly. Link almost jumped out of his skin from the sudden movement, "Zelds what the fu–" _

_ He was interrupted by the princess crawling back to him with something cupped in her hands. A grin plastered on her face, "Look! I can't believe I caught one!" _

_ She opened her palms to reveal a hot-footed frog, "I've heard these have potent effects on the human body and with your physical fitness I can conduct a study to monitor the effects!" _

_ Link cringed, "Are you saying I should eat the frog?" _

_ "Yes!" She exclaimed, shoving the creature in his face. _

_ Link backed away, "I'm not eating it." _

_ "Come on", she whined, inching closer to the young knight, "please Linky? Just eat this one frog!" _

_ Link stood abruptly, almost falling over himself, "Zelda, piss off, I don't want the frog!" _

_ Zelda stood up after him and Link started to run. Zelda not far behind him as she chanted, "Eat the frog! Eat the frog!" _

_ "No!" He yelled, doing his best to run away from her. The whole way he's laughing at how ridiculous she is and she's laughing at how much fun she's having without succumbing to her duties as a princess. All she wants is to forget about her powers and the voices, just focusing on being young for a little while longer. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> like, comment, subscribe, love u  
> also find me on Twitter for some updates @tsniagasaxor


	21. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang stops at Dueling Peaks stable for a little rest and some snacks. Everyone there, besides you, is absolutely starstruck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> work has been very wack so i've been exhausted for a week and a half so I have read thru this and combed it out but I'm not sure if it sounds okay  
> eh, we're in this deep so it must be decent

Link shuffles his way back to me right as everything finishes simmering together. After what felt like fifteen uninterrupted minutes of me dropping every single fucking thing I took out of the slate, I manage to saute herbs and mushrooms and break a loaf of bread in half that he had in his inventory.

"Hey hurry up! Fuck, we don't have all day."

He rolls his eyes and jogs towards me, leaning down to kiss my forehead, "What's cookin' good lookin'?"

"I hate you."

He shrugs and I stand up, handing him the slate back. I walk away for a quick second to put my armor back on and whaddya know, I hear several people squealing.

I turn in the direction of the noise and saw Link surrounded by men  _ and  _ women. I stand on my tiptoes to see what all the commotion was beside him but apparently, when he washes up and lets his hair down he's quite the hot topic.

I slowly walk over and hear bits and pieces of the conversations.

"You took over the divine beast in Zora's Domain?"

"What kind of shield do you have?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Which divine beast are you going to next?"

"God, you're hot!"

I scratch my neck and do my best to move through the crowd. I would deal with that later but for now, I just wanted something to eat. I started to take a skewer and stab into a bit of everything, that is until Link shouting interrupted my thoughts.

"Calm down ladies, the champion has his heart set on someone else."

All the women gasp as the men clamor for more information about his weapons. For some reason, all of them turn to me before storming off in a huff. Link pulls me up from the ground as I was taking hearty bites of the vegetable and herb skewer, "If you need weapons and or armor, this is the woman to speak to."

They all gasp as Link continues, "Head blacksmith of Hateno!"

"Hmpf?"

"And, my  _ lover. _ "

I do a spit take and look back at him, thanks for ruining my food asshole. He looks at me and smiles as if he just didn't get super fucking bold in  _ public. _

"Link," I laugh nervously, "Mind coming over here for a second?"

I yank him behind some boxes next to the stable.

"What in the absolute  _ fuck _ are you doing?"

"Calm down, it scared all the girls away."

"But the guys?"

"They won't flirt with you for free weapons."

I think to myself, is he actually that clever to think ahead like that? Especially after what came out of his mouth sounded more off the wall than anything he's ever said? I roll my eyes and let out a deep breath, "Okay fine. You can have this one."

He giggles and kisses me hard before standing up and chatting with all the men again. I try to rub the blush off my face and stand up as well, making sure no one overheard us. 

I walk towards Mabel and rub her snout a bit, "Hey sweet girl."

She whinnies and stomps in place. I reach over the gate and into my bag to pull out a carrot and feed it to her, breaking it down into small pieces. I can't believe he fucking said that. I haven't even slept with him, all we did was kiss and now he's making this elaborate lie–

"Hey, can you help me?" 

I turn around to a guy, who looked pretty young and carried a backpack. He wore thick-rimmed glasses and had short brown hair.

"Yeah what's up?"

"Can you come help me set up my tent? I can't afford a bed at the stable right now–"

I reach into my satchel, "Oh do you need rupees? I can get you a bed!"

He waves his hands in front of me, "No no that's fine, I can settle with my tent! I wouldn't want to trouble you."

I close the flap and follow him to the location. It's just maybe four or five feet away from the stable where he has a stick and some cloth on the ground.

"Can you push the stick down into the dirt? I'll try to get this sheet stretched out."

I nod, jamming the stick as far into the ground as I could. Weird, he didn't ask a guy or something, I figured they would have a bit more muscle than me. Before I knew it my hands were behind my back and a knife was at my throat.

"I wonder if your  _ boyfriend  _ is as oblivious as you."

The traveler was nowhere in sight which led me to believe he was the one behind me. I close my eyes and did my best not to panic. Then I'd have  _ another _ problem on my hands. 

"Listen here, we're gonna walk over to Link and you're gonna stand there and look pretty. I'll make a move from there. Our clan can't risk having him destroy Ganon."

I roll my eyes and follow his footsteps. Once we were in Link's peripheral vision, the traveler whistles and he looks over in my direction. His demeanor changes and even from a distance, I can tell his eyes were dark.

"I don't even think I should let her go kid. I can't risk you going to fight Ganon."

All the other men from the stable stood back in shock as Link drew his sword and appeared in front of me. I didn't even see him fucking  _ move. _ He points his sword directly at the traveler's forehead before pulling me towards him by my waist. 

"Don't you or the rest of you  _ fucks _ lay a hand on her. Or you'll answer to goddess Hylia herself." He growls.

Now that I could see him, he wore a black and red bodysuit with a white mask. From the looks of it, it had an upside-down sheikah eye on it. Link was breathing heavily, either from all the energy he exerted or his genuine anger. 

The clan member steps back and chuckles, before a bright red light, orange, and red confetti appeared out of thin air. And from that thin air, two more members showed up with bows. They leaped into the air and fire arrows in our direction, in which Link threw me to the side and held up his shield. He looks at me from the corner of his eye, "Stay behind me."

"What the fuck", I whisper frantically, "Why don't I just go into the stable?"

The crowd dissipates, all the men and a few women screaming down the trail, trying to get away from the commotion.

"You left my eyesight earlier and were briefly held hostage. Stay. Behind. Me."

His voice was stern as he looks ahead and parries the attack one of the members made, knocking his blade to the ground and piercing his abdomen with the sword. The clan member let out a blood-curdling scream as Link twists the blade 90 degrees. The other two fire more arrows before leaping back into the red cloud and appearing behind me. 

Oh  _ shit _ , oh  _ fuck _ .

What a terrible way to be in, I left my weapons in the stable. I eye the stable and look back at the two archers who nocked an arrow faster than I could blink. I barrel roll out of the way as the arrows hit the ground, barely missing my leg. From then on I spring into a sprint, making my way to my bag and desperately looking for my bow and arrow. They fire into the stable and arrows hit the wall behind me after I duck to the ground. I have the bow, fuck  _ fuck _ where are my arrows? Another round fired in my direction, whooshing over my head. 

I got it! The biggest light bulb popped up over my head as soon as I ripped one of the arrows from the wooden pole and nocked it, aiming towards the archer. I take in a deep breath and let it go, watching as it barely clipped his shoulder and rips the fabric.  _ Fuck _ .

I reach up and pull another arrow from the pole, nock it, hoping this time I won't miss. At that point, an arrow fired from the left and hit one archer in his head, the other was hit in his chest as he turned to look at where they were coming from. 

Link slowly came into my view, his face sprinkled with blood spatter and his fists balled up tightly. Unfortunately, his expression didn't change from before. I stand up slowly and walk towards him. He took my chin into his hands and made me look up at him. 

"Ow dude you're hurting me–"

"I told you to stay behind me."

"I wanted to help you. I'm not some fucking damsel in distress."

"What if you got hurt (y/n)?"

"But I didn't."

He let go of me and sighs, before walking back out of the stable. The manager looks at me and I give him a nervous smile. I don't know what the hell happened either man. I grab my bag and bow, stealing a few arrows from the pole, and ran after him. He was at the stable, letting Mabel out.

"Link–"

"Are you ready to go?" he asks, a hint of annoyance in his voice. 

I nod, walking up and standing by while he got on first. I follow soon after and wrap my arms around him. What do I say? What  _ should _ I say? To be fair I didn't get held hostage a second time, I just had a showdown between two random fucking people who belonged to a clan. I don't even know what clan, but I'm sure Link knew. I was afraid to say anything. I wasn't afraid when a stranger held a knife to my neck, both times by the way, but I was afraid to say anything to the blonde Hylian I was with. He didn't put his hair up and he didn't wipe the blood off his face so I'm sure anyone that passed by us would be scared out of their minds.

I couldn't even open my mouth to ask where we were off to next. I just lean into him and let out a deep breath. I have to say  _ something. _

"I didn't want you to fight alone."

Silence. Not good.

"I've been fighting alone since I woke up. Don't worry about me."

Interesting. I'm going to do it anyway.

"I don't want anything to happen to you." He continues.

Okay, now I didn't know what to say to that. I just held him even tighter. You won't lose me without a fight.

* * *

I wake up to the ceiling. Tent. I'm in another stable. I sit up so fast I make myself dizzy. Nothing looks familiar, not even the stable manager. Did I dream that  _ whole  _ thing? My armor was propped against the bed and my boots were next to them. Where's Link?  _ Where's Link? _

I get out of bed and wave at the stable manager before stumbling outside. I look around frantically. I don't see a tall blonde  _ anywhere. _ My heart rate shot up, I couldn't breathe and my eyes started to water. What the fuck is going on? What the fuck is going on with  _ me? _

I hear rapid footsteps from my left like someone was running. That means I have to run too right? What if it was another Ganon crony? None of this helped my mind as I slipped further and further into a panic. I couldn't move either.

When the person came into view I let out a sigh of relief, "Link."

"(y/n)? Are you okay?"

I almost fall over before he caught me in his arms. He's here.  _ Fucking hell he's here. _

"Hey! Are you okay?"

He held my head up to his, his eyes the bright and beautiful cyan I was infatuated with. I think this was it. This was my reassurance. I did  _ like  _ him.

"I'm fine."

"You're shaking, and...crying? Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying." I argue, wiping my eyes. I just got fucking scared that's all. I didn't say that though.

"Don't lie to me." he says in a hushed tone.

"I couldn't find you."

"I went to find some herbs and salt to make you something."

"Oh."

"You cried because you couldn't find me?"

"I didn't cry!"

He pulls me to his chest and laughs, the vibration reverberating through my body. I put my arms around him and start laughing too. This was fucking ridiculous, he was ridiculous. But I genuinely panicked. He wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. 

"So  _ cry baby,  _ are you hungry?" He asks, rubbing my back.

"I can eat something. Not a lot though."

I pull myself away from him and look into his eyes for a split second. His freckles are a bit darker than before and kiss him. Caressing his face and smiling, he made me happy in a way I couldn't describe. Even if he was a hard-ass sometimes.

He breaks the kiss, "How does mushroom rice balls sound?"

"Actually sounds pretty decent."

"Great, they're ready."

I pout, "Well fuck what if I didn't like them?"

"You'd starve."

"Goddesses."

He walks out of the stable and I turn on my heel to grab my shoes and armor, slipping them both on very quickly before meeting him by Mabel.

"Have you given her anything?" 

He nods, munching on the rice and mushroom triangle. He held one of them out to me and I took it, hesitating at first but then taking the biggest bite ever recorded. God this was so good. I didn't even eat much at the stable before this because Link made me lose my shit for a quick second before I was held hostage. 

I swallow the bit I had, "So where are we?"

"Riverside stable. The next one is Wetlands. I'm shooting for the morning after tomorrow we should be in Goron City."

I nod, taking another bite, "Thanks for not letting me die at Dueling Peaks."

He looks at me and then to the sky before swallowing his last bite, "Oh! Yeah, no problem. It's what I do."

I roll my eyes, "Yeah sure."

He stretches a bit before pulling out the slate and swiping away on it. I watch him play with it, his expression changing every time a new screen popped up. Maybe I thought that out of panic or something but it felt right? Like yeah, I do like him, romantically and platonically. And I'm sure he does too, but it feels too early. It's been like what? almost three weeks? two and a half maybe? This whole situation was so fucking weird.

"Do you want me to put your hair up for you?" I ask. Don't even know where that came from but it was a little odd seeing his hair down. Except for when he took a shower and it was wet, dripping all over the fucking bed. Bastard.

He gave me a look before grinning madly, "Yeah that sounds good."

He hands me a blue hair tie, the same color as his tunic and I instruct him to sit on the log bench in front of the cooking pot. I step behind him and take some of his hair into my hands and loop it through the hair tie. His hair was relatively soft but I could feel dried blood in it ever so slightly. The tops of his ears were red, which I'm guessing so was his face. I look out towards the sky, I'm assuming it was around noon or so, before looking back down at Link, who had shut down the slate and put it back on his hip.

I was pretty proud of my handiwork and tap both his shoulders, "Done!"

"Thanks. Are you ready to get going?"

"As I'll ever be."

He stood and took my arm, bringing me closer to him before he kisses my forehead.

"I'm going to take Vah Rudania while I'm there. Just to knock it out."

My eyes widen, remembering when he stumbled into my house a bloody fucking mess. I don't doubt him but it's fucking Goron City.  _ Death Mountain.  _ And I don't want him to fucking die, all of Hyrule was expecting him to succeed in defeating Ganon.

"How long will that take?" I ask.

"Eh about a day and a half," he says, mounting Mabel, "I'll be fine I promise."

I follow suit and hold on to him tightly, leaning against him, "Okay."

After the last word was exchanged, he kicks Mabel's side twice, switching her gait to a gallop. I watch the stable disappear behind us, waiting for our next stop. 

"I think we can just skip wetlands and head straight to the next one. Just to save us a bit of time."

"Alright, sounds fine with me. If we come across anything I trust you will work on your archery skills."

I smack my teeth before pinching his side, "Ow–"

"Fuck you."


	22. PreCal Ten: Father and Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and her father come to a disagreement about her fascination with the ancient machines.

_ Link and Zelda stood on the bridge that overlooked the courtyard in the castle. Her face brightened a few shades seeing the guardians move and researchers frantically taking notes. _

_ "We can very well control them at this point. We'll have enough knowledge of these machines to fight Ganon efficiently." _

_ "I would hope so. I expected controlling them would be easier than the divine beasts." Link remarked, folding his arms.  _

_ King Rhoam appeared into view at the other end of the bridge, a displeased look on his face. Link caught wind and kneeled, Zelda however, stood proud. _

_ "What are you doing out here gawking at the machines for?" _

_ "I'm just really thrilled with all the things we're accomplishing. We will be well prepared when Ganon strikes." _

_ " 'We'? You have training to do." _

_ "All I've done is train. I'll have you know I just came back from the Spring of Courage and nothing has come of it. I have prayed every day to awaken my powers. Every day–" _

_ "That's enough Zelda. You need to dedicate yourself fully to your duty." He boomed, looking out towards the courtyard as well. His hands were behind his back as he held his ground. Zelda sunk into herself where she stood, on the verge of tears.  _

_ Link shook his head, 'She's such a crybaby.'  _

_ "Father I–" _

_ "As the king I hereby forbid you to have anything to do with the research of these machines and focus solely on your training." _

_ He turned to her, his visage not changing in the slightest, "You know the rumors around here, townsfolk whispering among themselves, they talk about how you are a heir to nothing. Nothing but failure." _

_ Zelda looked down at her hands, where she had unconsciously been picking at her nails. King Roham looked down on her before turning around and walking back where he had entered. Link stood up and walked up to Zelda's side. She started to sob quietly. _

_ "There's nothing more I can do. If I can't awaken my powers, I want to be able to contribute in a different way. Is that so wrong?" She whimpered, turning to him. _

_ Link hated when she cried, he wanted to cry too. There was nothing he could do to make her feel better and that made him feel helpless, a new feeling for the best knight on the royal guard. All he could do was embrace her, patting her head as she cried into his shoulder. _


	23. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Link stop at another stable where the manager gives you a gift to share with Link. Unfortunately, it's wine. And you haven't had alcohol in a while.

I watch as we pass Hyrule Castle and into another set of nicely wooded areas. It looked bad from here, the red and black clouds, the flying things and I'm guessing all the guardians patrolling the area. It's depressing to me, but I can't imagine how it feels to Link.

At this point, we slow down to a canter as Link looks in the same direction. 

I lean up and put one of my hands on his back, "Do you remember anything about the castle?"

He shook his head before kicking Mabel's side, pushing her into a gallop. Maybe he hasn't remembered anything yet. I don't know if there are any pictures of the inside of it on the slate. Even then he wouldn't recognize that.

"Do you want to try to sneak by it?" I yell, the wind hard in my ears.

"What? (Y/n) are you insane?"

"I thought it was a good idea. I mean we could sneak around and get a closer look."

"No, there's too many guardians and skywatchers. I can't have you in the middle of danger again."

"You're saying that like I can't defend myself!"

"Not against those you can't."

I sigh and put my hand back around his waist. I deadass thought it was a good idea, not as good as it was  _ sweet. _ I don't even think he caught onto what I was trying to do. Ugh, this is the only time he might actually be oblivious. The castle itself disappears from my view and I peek over Link's shoulder to see what direction we were going in next. We rounded a curve and went up what felt like a hill and came back down to cross a bridge.

"Are we just gonna keep going like this? Makes me feel like we should have stopped at wetlands."

"Come on, just a few more minutes longer. I see a stable up ahead."

I strain myself to look further. I did see some lights and a few travelers on horseback. Once it all came into view I was struck with awe. It overlooked the Hylia River and was just stunning. More so than any other stable, it looks so  _ cozy. _ I jump off before Mabel could come to a complete stop.

"(Y/n!)" Link shouts.

I ran towards the fucking  _ patio  _ and turned to smile at him, "Dude look! You can't tell me this isn't the cutest shit you've ever seen!"

I walk around the tables, picking up cups and looking back at him. He wasn't quite as amused, but a smile crept on his face anyway. He got off the horse and brought it closer to the stable, walking over to the counter and talking to the manager. I run over to the far edge of the patio and gaze over the pond, the structure with a glowing orange sheikah eye-grabbing my attention. Odd for it to be right there but the atmosphere was enchanting nonetheless. There are trees around the patio, sunset fireflies flying around, you can see them a lot better when it is starting to get dark. I could stand here for hours. I would kill to have this view behind my house.

Link walked over and stood next to me, laughing at the fact I was easily excitable.

"You like this stable?"

"This is my favorite now."

"You've never been here?"

"No, I always went the opposite direction to Foothill."

He scoffs, "You're cute when you're excited."

"You think I'm cute doing  _ anything, _ " I say, rolling my eyes and leaning away from the banister.

He laughs and takes my hand, kissing it before kissing me. It felt so  _ cliche _ . Standing in front of a pond, fireflies surrounding us, the sun setting. He kisses me slowly this time, instead of acting as if he were in a rush. His tongue explored every crevice of my mouth, fighting for dominance against mine. I let up my fight for control and let him take the lead, as he grabs my hips and leans over me, arching my body backward. 

The whole fucking moment was interrupted as passing travelers clapped, 'oohing' and 'aww-ing' at every single movement. Link pulls away, smiling at me before pulling me up to where I was before.

"God I hate people." I groan. I  _ did _ enjoy the moment we had, even if it was fucking ridiculous. It was one of the most romantic things he's ever done. I'll give him brownie points for that.

"You do not."

"You don't know anything about me."

He chuckles before leaning back against the railing, "I know you hate fish."

I look at him from the corner of my eye as he continues, "I know your favorite color is pink, you used to play dress up in your father's apron, you and your mother picked berries together often–"

"Okay okay, you fucking stalker. Jeez. I'm guessing auntie told you all that?"

"Yeah, it's really easy to get information out of her."

"She's so fucking gullible", I say, turning my head to look at him, "You just gonna walk around with dried blood on your face?" 

He used the back of his hand to rub at his cheek, "Oh shit–"

"Sit down stupid, I'll get my first aid kit."

I reach over the stable gate and grab my bag off of Mabel, who rubbed her snout against me. I laugh, "Hey come on that tickles! I'll see you later girl."

I had some spare rubbing alcohol and a washcloth in my bag so I could use that to clean up his face a bit. I think our tempers matched a bit, even though the last time he was upset is because I was stubborn. If he knows everything about me he should fucking know  _ that _ .

I walk over to him and dab some alcohol on the cloth before reaching to rub the dried blood from his face.

"Have you tried not being sloppy?" I ask.

"Yeah, I have", he snarked, "But it makes me feel better knowing they're dead  _ enough  _ to not try again."

It gave me chills when he said that, I'm guessing that isn't the first few people he's killed. He did it to keep me safe though, not because he's a serial killer, right? Yeah, I don't think he's a killer, if so, damn he's good. 

He grins slightly after I work my way under his chin, his jawline making my heart skip several beats. He's such a smug bastard and he knows too much about me. And now, per Aunt Purah's instructions, I've been working on being patient and controlling my temper by patching him up when I could. But I didn't even mind. If I could bring him from the brink of death so he wouldn't go back to the Shrine of Resurrection I would be just as content. This fucker can't leave me  _ now. _

"Alright, done. Now get away from me." I tease, sticking my tongue out. 

He laughs and stands, "Only if that means I get to wipe the dirt off your face." 

Unconsciously, I touch my face, "You splashed it off at Dueling Peaks, remember? Childish fuck."

"Nope, there's still some under your ear and around your neck. Plus when you were running around from the Yiga clan members."

"They're called the Yiga clan?"

"Yeah, they stole the Thunderhelm from Gerudo Town. So that's my next task after Rudania."

I hand him the cloth and take his spot on the stool. He took it from me and tried to match my height standing up, wiping the dirt from around my face.

My cheeks get hot as I try to avoid eye contact, but he pulls my face towards him, his eyes reeking of intensity.

"How do you feel about me?"

"You sure like interrogating people huh." I respond, giving him a cheeky smirk of my own.

He giggles like a whole idiot, "Yeah, that's kinda my thing."

I roll my eyes, "Whatever dude. I think you're okay."

"You think I'm okay?"

"Yeah, I mean what else do you want me to say?" I ask, desperately trying to avoid eye contact. My cheeks were on fire, I wasn't ready to admit it, I mean fuck I finally came to terms with the fact I like him in all ways.

"I want you to say what you're thinking."

"I'm  _ thinking _ of beating the shit out of you."

He shrugs and lets my face go, "We'll try again later."

I groan and snatch the slate from his belt, "What do you want to eat?"

"Um, I don't know, surprise me,  _ honey. _ "

"I want to hurt you very badly."

He sits on the stool and blows a kiss to me, winking. I roll my eyes and head to the opposite direction where the cooking pot was located. Okay so, I got this. This time I won't drop seven hundred items on the ground. I open the inventory and swipe through some of the pages. What about some vegetable risotto? That sounds pretty good to me. I take out some rice, Hyrule herb, salt, and a few mushrooms. I dump all of it into the pot with goat butter and let it go for a few minutes. I walk into the stable and rent two beds this time because there's no way we can fit into one bed, and set my stuff down next to it. While in theory taking off my armor and putting it back on every time we stopped at a stable  _ sounds  _ excessive, I just enjoyed being comfortable when I wasn't on horseback

I yawn and the stable manager calls out to me, "Excuse me, miss!"

I turn around and start towards the desk, "Yeah what's wrong?"

"I have a bottle of wine for the dinner you're making for your boyfriend."

Oh my goddesses, now we're being mistaken for a couple? To be fair it didn't help that he just decides to kiss me anywhere, in front of anyone. I blush, taking the jug from him, "Thanks."

"There are cups on the tables outside, feel free to use them."

I nod and walk out with the jug in hand. Link looks up at me and raises a brow, "What the hell is that?"

I put the jug on the table in between us before handing him the slate again, "The stable manager thinks we're dating and now we have a fucking", I say, gesturing vaguely at the container, "bottle of wine."

He laughs before taking it off of the table and popping off the cork, smelling it.

"Voltfruit. Tasteful."

I sit down at the table and put my head on my hands, "They must have gone all the way to Gerudo for that."

"Well, I don't want to drink any until the food is done." 

I roll my eyes, "I'll check on it in a minute."

He puts the cork back onto the bottle and sets it on the table before tapping around like a maniac on the slate.

"Auntie says you're quite the character when you drink."

He gave me a look before sitting straight up, I guess I got his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, she referenced the time you went to the bar in Rito. You, Zelda, and Mipha came to Hateno to talk about the divine beasts and you had a hangover."

He starts laughing loudly, unfortunately catching the attention of passing travelers, "Yeah I remember now. The drinking challenge I had with Revali."

"Mhmm."

"I'm pretty sure I won."

"It's okay to say you lost."

"I didn't."

"Whatever." I laugh, getting up to check on the risotto.

I stir it around with a nearby ladle and serve it equally in two bowls. I put a spoon in each bowl before walking back over, setting one bowl in front of the annoyingly attractive blonde who kept being mistaken for my boyfriend.

"Looks great." he says, practically drooling over it. 

I take the jug from his side and pour the pink liquid in my cup before setting it back on the table, "It's hot dude be careful."

"I'm not a kid."

"Well, you sure as fuck act like one." I say, taking a bigger sip than I intended. It was kind of sweet but had a  _ shocking _ aftertaste. 

He takes the jug and pours some into his cup too, "God you're mouthy." 

"And you're annoying."

"But you like it."

" _ This _ is why people think we're dating."

He takes a bite, pointing his spoon at me, "Is that a bad thing?"

I take another sip of my drink, "We got a free container of wine so  _ maybe _ not."

He laughs, downing what was left in his cup before shoving his mouth a bit more with risotto. Jeez with how he eats I'm surprised he didn't choke. He pours himself another glass before sneaking a look at me, his face and ears getting red.

"I take it the risotto is good yeah?"

He nods, "Yeah, good job."

Why did it feel so awkward now? Is it because we're drinking? Or because I didn't quite answer his question? I mean I don't know, this is the second damn time we've gotten into a situation where people thought we were together. We act like it, right? 

"So what if we are dating?" I ask, not even processing the words at all. I could have worded that differently, I bet.

He raises a brow while drinking from the cup, "What?"

"I don't see anything wrong with people thinking we're dating", I say, finishing my first glass as well, "I mean, we do get more free shit I'm guessing."

He smiles, "Well for the sake of the act should we get a room?"

I roll my eyes, "Don't ruin this."

"I won't, I'm just staying in character."

I pour my second glass, "No one is around us."

He looks around, the stable only having the manager inside and the stable keep sweeping around the cooking pot on the opposite side of the tent. I take a sip of the wine and look at him as he meets eyes with me. What is he thinking? Is he thinking about what I said and how horrible I worded it? Don't worry, me too dude. 

"(Y/n)."

"What?" I groan, lowering the spoon from my mouth. As soon as I try to take a bite, he wants something.

"How do you feel about me?"

"You expect me to spill the beans now that I'm drinking? Fat chance asshole."

He laughs, "It was worth a shot."

"No, it wasn't."

He smiles at me before looking down the path at the passing travelers. Staring off into nothing it seemed like. Didn't care what he was doing, as long as I got to finish my meal. It was good too, two points for me.

* * *

It was dark out now, maaaybe around midnight if anything. The torches were still going strong, a bit of firefly floating about and the sound of the wind blowing against the water in my ears, filling my head. I had my eyes closed, taking everything in. The air, the warm feeling in my chest and arms–

"Hey, you okay over there?"

I got so fucking lost in my world I forgot Link was sitting in front of me. 

"Yeah, I'm f-fine...hic...Why?"

"You're swaying back and forth."

"I'm ennnnnjoying  _ nature. _ "

He scoffs, "Yeah I bet."

I roll my eyes and reach for the jug. Something wasn't right. I shake it around and peek inside. The motherfucker was  _ empty. _ Did we go through that entire thing between the both of us?

Link had laid his head on the table and I flick the top of his head, "Get up schleeping beauty we're out of wine."

"I think that's for the best."

"The fuck?"

"I think you've had too much."

I sneer at him, "Fuck you, y’don't know that."

He props his head on his hand, "You're doing this again?"

"You're doin' this again", I mock, standing up, "Shut...hic...the fuck up."

Hmm, the ground was a bit closer than it was before, I don't  _ think _ that's good. I felt the vibration of Link laughing against my side as he held me up, "You almost fucking fell."

"Let go of me!"

"You're gonna hurt yourself." 

"Not 'fore I hurt you!" I bark, breaking from his grip. Not sure where I was heading but I was having a tough time. I hadn't made it six feet before stopping and just sitting on the ground. Gotta wait until shit stopped spinning.

"(Y/n) come on."

Link bent down in front of me, holding his hand out, "Are you ready to stop being stubborn?"

I fold my arms, "hic...No."

He sighs before walking off towards the fence overlooking the pond. I groan and do my best to stand, wobbling towards him by the grace of Hylia. I lean onto him for some sort of support and put my hands on the railing. He ends up putting one hand on top of mine.

"You're a lightweight."

"You're...hic...an asshole."

The silence was gross. Whenever he was silent he was thinking of something stupid or sexual. Actually a combination of both.

"So how many girls have you slept with 'fore you know", I ask, gesturing vaguely, "all...hic...this?"

He chuckles, "That's an odd question to ask."

"Y'gonna answer it?"

"A gentleman never kisses and tells."

"Oh, whatever." I remark, moving away from him. I wanted to be close to the water but I didn't want to stand, and a spot in the grass behind the stable looked perfect. I make my way over, doing all I can to not fall over, and plop on the ground. Running my hands through the lush grass, feeling the blades between my fingers. I need to sit on the ground more often. Link had sat next to me as well, "How many men have you slept with?"

"Whaddya take me for?"

"My girlfriend."

"I...hic...hate you."

"No, you don't."

"don't know that." I huff, folding my arms.

"If you hate me you would push me away when I kiss you."

"Hic...Stockholm syndrome."

He laughs, "Why do you have a response to everything?"

" 'cause you say  _ stuuuupid  _ shit."

He kisses my cheek, "Yeah?"

Something in me just  _ clicked. _ I don't know what it was, but it was a switch he turned on. I turn to him and kiss him. Hard. Not trying to deal with the battle of who would dominate who, as he let me take control. Crawling into his lap, straddling his hips, and swirling my tongue around his before biting his bottom lip and pulling away. The feeling gave me a high I never thought I could achieve as I smile slightly at him. I don't know if the environment blocked the natural color of his eyes or if his eyes just automatically darkened like they usually do when we're close like this. I wrap my arms around his neck as he brings my hips close to him, a firm grip around me.

"How do you feel about me?" He asks, the third fucking time tonight. 

I scoff, "You're cheating."

"Am not."

"I make...hic...out with you 'nd you think yer gonna get answers?"

"I wanna make sure you're okay with what I'm doing."

"You're not  _ dooooing _ anything."

"Not anything you don't want me to do."

I hate him. How he talks with his fucking sexy authoritave tone like he's still a royal guard or some shit. I hate his face, his freckles, his eyes, his soft lips–

I run my finger down his chest, "Whaddya want to do?"

"I want you. But not like this."

"hic...does that mean?"

"Preferably when you're not drunk."

"Who said I was drunk?"

"You almost fell."

I shrug, "So whaaaat? I'm fuckin' clumsy, go ahead and arrest me."

"I don't think now is the time."

"Why nooott?" I ask, my voice getting louder. I was getting impatient. I know you want to have sex with me Link, stop dancing around it you chivalrous bastard! I could bargain with him, I'm not backing down without a fight, preferably naked.

"I'll tell you how I feel."

His eyes widen, I pique his interest. Easy.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah", I breathe, pressing my body against his chest, "I feel...hic...horny."

He laughs before giving me a quick kiss, "(Y/n) come on, let's go lie down."

I groan, "Isn't this what you wanted? Purah said you were such a playboy. Reeeal ladies man."

He grabs my chin, staring deep into my soul, "Let's lie down okay honey?"

"Stop callin' me that." I mutter, letting my hands fall to my sides. I felt confident this  _ is  _ what he wanted right? I mean, the flirting, the kissing, did I miss something? Ten seconds hadn't even passed before I felt embarrassed about my actions. This is why I don't drink. My emotions run wild and they don't agree with my body.

Before I had time to process another thought, Link had stood and thrown me over his shoulder like a damn sack of mushrooms. I kick around, "Put me down!"

Silence.

"Link! Put me down!"

He places me on the bed of the stable, the manager ignoring us, still under the guise we were a couple and takes off my boots. 

"I can do this on my own."

"Just let me do it okay?"

He sounded stressed, maybe sad. Did I hurt his feelings? Fuck maybe I shouldn't have done that. Maybe I got mixed signals. Oh goddesses I wanted Ganon himself to take me out this time. I flop down on the bed and let out a sigh, Link sitting next to me.

"I didn't hurt your feelings did I?" I ask, covering my face with my hands. God, I can't believe I did this. 

"Of course not", he said, leaning over me, "I just want to know what you're thinking. And I want you to be honest."

"I'm thinking about  _ you _ . All the time."

He smiles, "I'm always thinking about you."

I cup his cheeks in my hands, "I'm hungry."

"What do you want?"

"Hmmm umm, fried–fried egg and rice."

"Okay, just stay here."

I stick my tongue out at him, watching him walk out of the stable and towards the cooking pot. He's always thinking about me huh? This is getting interesting. I twist myself around on the bed and slip under the blankets. It's so warm and comfortable, goddesses, did I pay for a soft bed? I'm so fucking smart. I close my eyes for a quick second, melting into the bed. 

That was probably the longest second ever I thought, right as Link nudges me, "Hey are you asleep?"

"Noooo!"

"Okay, well here's the egg and rice and some water. You need to drink some water before you fall asleep."

" 'Kay  _ mom. _ "

He scoffs, "Yeah? Lean up so you don't drop it everywhere."

I do what he says and he puts the tray on my lap. Why does this smell so good? What did he put in it this time? I take a huge bite and bounce up and down, the movement startling him a little.

"Excited?"

"Egg, egg, egg!" I chant, proceeding to shovel more food in my mouth.

He takes the tray from me, puts it on the bedside table and replaces it with a glass of water. He lets out a deep breath, "You okay now?"

"I was okay before." I say, before taking a big gulp of water. What did he do to the water? It tasted sooooo good. I'm getting a little suspicious. He gets up and gives me a small kiss, "I don't want to ruin anything."

"Ruin it like what?"

"I want you to know I care about you."

"Ohhhh."

He shook his head, I think he knew at this point I wasn't absorbing information as opposed to it just being thrown at me. His eyes were soft and he was a lot soberer than I was. He was telling the truth.


	24. PreCal Eleven: Your Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda are caught in the rain on their way back to the castle from Purah's tech lab. Zelda shares her thoughts with Link about her father's decision and how she feels about her role as a princess.

_ The rain poured heavily in the midday. Zelda sat under a rock, trying her best not to get wet. Instead, she was looking through research notes on the slate, blatantly disobeying the king's orders. Link on the other hand, was out in the rain, his hair and clothes soaking wet as he swung the master sword around like a madman. _

_ "How long are you gonna swing that sword around?" she asked, not even looking up. _

_ He glanced at her before stopping the movement, holding it outwards in front of him with both hands. _

_ "I'm just trying to get used to the weight!" _

_ "It's not that heavy." _

_ He frowned, "Then you swing it around." _

_ "Are you mental? It's fucking raining." _

_ "Oh, what are you gonna melt?" He laughed, sticking his tongue out. _

_ She turned the slate off and sat it on the ground, being careful that it didn’t get wet. She stood and stomped over to Link, tugging at the sword in his hands. _

_ As soon as he let go of it, it fell down into the dirt, even as she held onto it with both hands. Link narrowed his eyes, "Wah wah 'it's not that heavy', how does it feel to be wrong?" _

_ "If I could lift this I would stab you." _

_ "You can't even hold a regular sword correctly." _

_ "Yes I can! I just still need to work on using it in combat." _

_ He shrugged, taking the sword from her. She huffed and folded her arms. _

_ "You'll get sick if you're out in the rain any longer." _

_ "I'll just eat some stew, no biggie." Link remarked, continuing to swing the sword around. _

_ Zelda shuffled back to the rock and sat on her toes, "Link?" _

_ "What?" He said, pointing the sword forward with one hand, his arm straightened. _

_ "I know you followed your father's footsteps to become a knight. And maybe that's why the sword chose you. But what if", she sighed, folding her arms and resting her chin on them, "One day, you realized you just weren't meant to be a fighter." _

_ Link put the sword in its sheath on his back and slowly approached the princess, getting down on one knee in front of her. _

_ "What?" _

_ "Yet the only thing people ever said was that you were born into a family of the royal guard and no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight." _

_ She looked away from him, her voice cracking, "If that was the only thing you were ever told, I wonder then, if you would have chosen a different path?" _

_ This time around she looked at him while waiting for an answer. Link actually didn't know where to begin. _

_ "I've never thought about it like that. Only because it's something I wanted to do on my own regardless of what people told me." _

_ He smiled, looking down and playing with the dirt, "I've been training for this my whole life. I don't think I would have chosen anything different." _

_ "So, is it wrong for me to not want to be a princess? To be pushed to unlock some powers I probably don't even have?" _

_ He shook his head and looked up at her. The rain falling on her face made it difficult to tell if she was crying or not. _

_ "No. I don't think so. If being a researcher and scientist is what makes you happy then you disobeying the king's orders just shows him that you're really passionate about it. I don't know why he's mad about that." _

_ She grinned lightly and jumped off her feet to hug Link, the rain slowing down and the sun peeking through the clouds. _

_ "Thank you for saying that." _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for 1000 hits! here's to 1000 more! i just uploaded some extra chapters and shit so I'll be back to my regular scheduled programming on the 21st.  
> i love u!!! like, comment, subscribe (also special love to people who have recommended this fic to others!)


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